LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) -Manchester City missed the chance to close the gap at the top of Women’s Super League on Sunday as they slumped to a shock 2-1 defeat at Everton the day after leaders Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw by lowly Leicester City.
Everton collected their first-ever points from City thanks to first-half goals from Lucy Hope and Honoka Hayashi to leave the Manchester club on 22 points, six behind Chelsea, as the league heads into its Christmas break.
Everton, who now have two victories from 10 games, are ninth in the 12-team table on nine points, four points above bottom side Crystal Palace in the relegation spot.
Defender Hope put Everton ahead in the 31st minute by nodding home Sara Holmgaard’s corner and Hayashi doubled the lead eight minutes later when she latched onto a Melissa Lawley cross before firing from the edge of the box into the corner.
Mary Fowler pulled one back for City in the 88th minute with a penalty awarded after Yui Hasegawa was dragged down by Karoline Olesen but it proved to be just a consolation.
Arsenal remain third on 21 points after a 1-0 win away to Liverpool thanks to Alessia Russo with Manchester United behind them on goal difference after Grace Clinton’s goal deep into first-half stoppage time gave them a 1-0 victory at Palace.
Brighton & Hove Albion are fifth on 17 points after a 1-1 draw with sixth-placed Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, while winger Adriana Leon scored twice as Aston Villa beat West Ham United 3-1 on Sunday to leave her side seventh on nine points.
The WSL resumes on Jan. 17 when Liverpool host Brighton.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; additional reporting by Philip O’Connor; editing by Clare Fallon and Ken Ferris)
