Lauren James scored twice as the Women’s Super League leaders Chelsea moved six points clear with a convincing 3-0 win away to Brighton. Fran Kirby was also on target for Emma Hayes’s reigning champions at Broadfield Stadium in Crawley. James’s second-half double – on the back of last weekend’s hat-trick against Manchester United – takes her WSL tally to 12 for the season to put her level with Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw as the division’s leading scorer. The in-form England international was denied the chance to claim a second successive treble as she was replaced 23 minutes from time in order to give a debut to the club-record signing Mayra Ramírez. Chelsea’s lead at the top could be reduced back to three points when title rivals City and Arsenal play on Sunday.