Alessia Russo scored twice as Arsenal secured a three huge points on Friday night, with a 3-1 win over Everton allowing the Gunners to leapfrog Manchester United in the Women's Super League and assume the role as Chelsea's closest challengers for a title that, admittedly, the Blues appear to have one hand on. The Red Devils spurned the chance to close the gap at the top to five points at Anfield, losing 3-1 to Liverpool, and that allowed Arsenal to go above them on goal difference, with Chelsea maintaining their eight-point gap despite the two sides below swapping places.
It wasn't easy for the Gunners to move up the standings, though, with Everton pegging them back before the break. The Toffees have found goals much easier to come by since a strong January window and it was good work from Kelly Gago, one of their winter signings, that Toni Payne profited from to bag an equaliser that cancelled out Russo's opener. But Arsenal had much more to turn to on their bench and just three minutes after Renee Slegers made a quadruple change, the visitors went ahead again, with Caitlin Foord's pressure on Maren Mjelde helping to force an own goal from the Everton defender.
It was another substitute, Beth Mead, who set up Arsenal's third and final goal of the night, with her perfect pass to Russo allowing the striker to round Courtney Brosnan and tap into an empty net. It took her to 10 league goals for the season and made sure of a win which significantly boosts the Gunners' chances of securing Champions League football for next season.
GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Walton Hall Park...
