Manchester City hold on against United to win dramatic Women's Super League derby clash despite red card

Manchester City clung on to a dramatic 3-1 victory against Manchester United in the Women’s Super League, despite going down to 10 players in the second half.

The majority of the 43,615 fans at Old Trafford – a record home crowd for the women’s team – were delighted as Katie Zelem scored the opening goal of the match in the 21st minute.

Alex Greenwood handled the ball as Melvine Malard’s strike roared towards goal, with Zelem calmly scoring the resulting penalty.

United nearly doubled their lead through Nikita Parris, but the ball was deemed to have gone out of play before Geyse passed it into the penalty box.

This turned out to be a defining moment of the match as City scored two goals in quick succession shortly after.

Jill Roord turned Chloe Kelly’s cross into the back of the net for the equaliser, before Lauren Hemp curled the ball past United goalkeeper Mary Earps just a minute later.

City extended their lead in the second half when Earps’s clearance deflected off Bunny Shaw and ricocheted into her own net.

The visitors hung onto their lead, even when defender Laia Aleixandri was sent off for receiving her second yellow card in the 72nd minute.

City avoided a third successive defeat in the WSL and leapfrogged a previously unbeaten United in the table. They are now third with 13 points, while their Manchester rivals are fourth on 12 points.

Earlier in the day, Beth Mead earned her first Women’s Super League start for Arsenal since overcoming an ACL injury, in their 3-0 win over Brighton.

Mead played 64 minutes as the Gunners sealed all three points to move up to second in the table thanks to strikes from Stina Blackstenius, Caitlin Foord and Frida Maanum.

Sweden international Blackstenius broke the deadlock as she latched onto Katie McCabe’s cross from the left-hand of the box, and fired the ball home on her second attempt after scuffing the first.

Julia Zigiotti almost levelled the scores in first-half stoppage time, but her header was somehow clawed away to safety by Gunners shot-stopper Manuela Zinsberger.

Mead almost scored her first goal since her return from injury in the second half, but the England forward saw her shot go narrowly over the target.

Foord doubled Arsenal's lead with an emphatic strike in the 82nd minute, before Maanum made sure of the three points by finishing off a wonderful team move in the dying minutes of the game.

As for Brighton, this defeat leaves Melissa Phillips' side in eighth place with seven points from seven games, while the Gunners moved to within three points of Chelsea at the top.

Meanwhile, Everton and Bristol City shared the spoils in an entertaining 2-2 draw at Walton Hall Park, as the visitors twice recovered from a goal down to claim a point.

The Toffees drew first blood in the fourth minute when Martina Piemonte acted quickly on the rebound, after Robins goalkeeper Olivia Clark saved her initial effort.

Amy Rodgers wiped out Everton's lead in emphatic style with her ferocious strike past Courtney Brosnan in first-half stoppage time.

However, the hosts hit back through skipper Megan Finnigan, as she reacted quickest when Justine Vanhaevermaet's initial strike rebounded off the bar.

But Amalie Thestrup scored a second City equaliser in the 82nd minute with a fine finish, with Brosnan caught off her line.

The result leaves Brian Sorensen's side in 10th spot with five points from seven games and still waiting for a first home win of the season, while City remain bottom on goal difference on four points.

Elsewhere, Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur played out a 1-1 draw after goals from Janice Cayman and Celin Bizet Ildhusoy respectively.

Aston Villa avoided a similar fate against West Ham, who had initially taken the lead through Viviane Asseyi. Anna Patten equalised for Villa, before Adriana Leon gave her side the lead in the 50th minute.

Lisa Evans's goal for West Ham in the 80th minute looked set to see the match end as a draw, but Rachel Daly, last season's Golden Boot winner, popped up with a stoppage-time winner.

It could end up being a crucial victory for Villa, who rise to ninth in the table with six points. West Ham languish in 11th, only above Bristol City on goal difference.

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