Arsenal beat Everton to keep alive title hopes

Arsenal maintained the pressure on Women’s Super League leaders Chelsea with a routine victory at Everton.

Beth Mead converted Vivianne Miedema’s pass for Arsenal’s second goal before substitute Jordan Nobbs linked up with Mead and curled in a third.

Arsenal are a point behind Chelsea with three league games left for both sides.

Earlier on Sunday, Chelsea went a goal down in their match at Tottenham and also had a player sent off but recovered to win 3-1 to stay in control of the title race.

Everton, who have now scored only eleven in six games in all competitions, only had one shot – in a second half injury time – and did not have a corner in the entire match.

The hosts were lucky to not fall behind in the 29th minute when Stina Blackstenius put the ball in the net but was controversially adjudged offside.

England international Mead shot just wide soon after before Williamson’s fine long ball, from deep inside her own half, was expertly brought down by Foord with her then scoring from a narrow angle.

Mead then doubled Arsenal’s lead midway through the second half for her 50th Super League goal. Nobbs also reached that landmark shortly afterwards when she provided a fine finish to curl the ball into the top corner.

The assist for Mead for that goal was her 36th assist in the Super League, breaking the previous record of 35 sets by ex-Arsenal midfielder Karen Carney.

Arsenal have been champions 15 times but still need Chelsea to drop points in one of their last three matches – Tottenham at home on Thursday, Birmingham away on Sunday or Manchester United on 8 May – to have any chance of winning the league for the first time since 2018-19.