Chelsea go top, Everton and Liverpool draw in derby, Arsenal, Tottenham and Brighton win in WSL

Chelsea are top after beating West Ham, Everton and Liverpool drew, while Brighton defeated Leicester, Tottenham beat Bristol City, and Arsenal beat Aston Villa.

Emma Hayes' Chelsea needed just two minutes to go ahead, as Aggie Beever-Jones opened the scoring in their 2-0 victory.

Lauren James raced behind the West Ham backline after some impressive passing from Hayes’ side, and she pulled the ball back to find Beever-Jones.

She had to beat Mackenzie Arnold in the home side’s goal, and powered in an effort past the 'keeper.

West Ham managed to shut out Chelsea for the rest of the first half, but Beever-Jones went close with a header in the second half after meeting James’ tempting cross, sending the ball over the crossbar.

James then sent an effort wide from distance, and with Chelsea wanting to make the result secure, Fran Kirby and Mayra Ramirez were brought on.

It was Erin Cuthbert who converted the second, as she fizzed in a shot from Catarina Macario's corner, with the win putting Chelsea back on top, ahead of Manchester City courtesy of a superior goal difference.

The lunchtime Merseyside clash lacked much of the intensity one would normally associate with a match between two local rivals.

Matt Beard's visitors shaded a first half that saw The Toffees fail to register a single shot on target, but arguably had the best chance of the opening 45 minutes when Emma Bissell's speculative strike skirted across the side netting.

The only chance of note inside the opening half hour came when Leanne Kiernan's speculative long-range strike missed the target by some distance.

Toffees goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan receive treatment twice before the interval - the second time after a collision with Ceri Holland, who picked up a booking for the challenge.

Another delay ensued with Holland also needing treatment following the clash amid the backdrop of a very quiet crowd.

The intensity from both sides increased after the break with The Toffees going within inches of opening the scoring when Lucy Hope's long-range effort cannoned off the crossbar.

Heather Payne was starting to cause issues for the Liverpool defence down the right-hand side with a dangerous ball from the right, but was unable to pick out Katja Snoeijs in the middle.

Justine Vanhaevermaet then forced Reds keeper Rachael Laws into a save with a stinging long-range effort, as Everton searched for that ultimately elusive opener.

Holland had a chance to net a late winner for Liverpool after racing through on goal, but her sliding attempt was scrambled behind by the Everton defence in stoppage time.

This match will not be remembered in a hurry, but the point does move Beard’s side into the top four following Manchester United’s 3-1 derby defeat to Manchester City on Saturday.

Meanwhile, The Toffees’ wait for a first win this month continues in a result which lifts Brian Sorensen’s side at least temporarily up into ninth.

Tottenham Hotspur consolidated their position in sixth with a 1-0 win over table-propping Bristol City at Ashton Gate.

Bethany England scored the only goal of the match when she latched onto Grace Clinton's cross and applied a close-range finish past Fran Bentley at her near post.

Spurs began confidently and had a chance to extend their lead through Amanda Nilden, while Ella Powell fired straight at Rebecca Spencer down the other end in a one-v-one opportunity.

But it was the North Londoners who were dominating proceedings without applying the finishing touch - typified when Jessica Naz shot wide after being picked out by England.

Spencer almost gifted the hosts a route back into the contest after the break when she spilled a corner before quickly reclaiming the ball.

Further chances fell to Drew Spence and England as the match progressed, but Robert Vilahamn's side could not build on their lead and claimed a narrow win.

Brighton won a frenetic match at the King Power Stadium as they scored late in a 3-2 victory against Leicester City.

It was the home side who went ahead first when Jutta Rantala scored on 54 minutes, but Madison Haley equalised on 62 minutes, before Katie Robinson put the away side in front just six minutes later.

Lena Petermann then made it 2-2 after coolly finishing from Saori Takarada’s assist on 84 minutes, and the game looked to be heading towards a draw - but only for a few seconds.

A minute later, Elisabeth Terland grabbed the winner when Robinson’s cross found Haley, who played the ball towards Terland to convert for her 12th league goal of the season.

The result leaves Leicester in ninth place, 10 points clear of bottom side Bristol City, while Brighton moved a point above Leicester into eighth on 17 points.

Arsenal won 3-1 at Aston Villa but their final goal came in controversial circumstances.

Villa scored on 35 minutes when former Arsenal midfielder Jordan Nobbs found Adriana Leon, whose pull-back was converted by Ebony Salmon’s low shot into the corner.

Arsenal equalised when Alessia Russo’s effort was pushed away by Anna Leat, allowing Victoria Pelova to seize on the rebound to finish.

With six minutes of normal time remaining, Arsenal were in front when Lotte Wubben-Moy headed home from Russo’s cross to the back post.

The visitors were slightly fortunate to go 3-1 up when Stina Blackstenius slipped on the ball in what might have been an offside position, before potentially handballing in the process.

As Rachel Corsie appealed to the referee, Blackstenius played to the whistle to shoot past Leat on 86 minutes.

Arsenal stay third, six points behind City and Chelsea, with Vila seventh.

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