Beth England’s first goal in a Chelsea shirt against Manchester City and her assist for a Maren Mjelde second helped the Blues come from behind to earn their first Women’s Super League win against their title rivals in five years.

Emma Hayes praised the “ice cool” nature of her side, who have now earned comeback victories against title contenders Arsenal and City this season. “I think it says a lot about the character of the team,” the Chelsea manager said.

“They stay calm under pressure, they keep playing, they stick to the task, they stay together – all those buzz words that are important within teams that win things. We don’t implode. This is a team that stays ice cool and I thought that was a big difference in this game.”

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By contrast, Nick Cushing was left rueing a lack of bite after his team rode out the pressure and took the lead through Caroline Weir. “I said to the team we just lacked a little bit of aggression that we normally have. I thought it from the first whistle, we looked tentative at times.

“What Chelsea are doing with their matchday is incredible. The atmosphere is incredible, it’s pretty unique in the WSL here with the noise.”

The Women’s Super League may be increasingly competitive but Arsenal, City and Chelsea are still stretching their legs at the top. As a result, the head-to-heads between the two teams matter more. Chelsea may have already beaten Arsenal at Kingsmeadow, but Manchester City were a more dangerous beast, one that has haunted Hayes. Since their first WSL game against City in July 2014, Chelsea had gone 1,967 days without a league win against Cushing’s team – with five defeats and five draws until their turnaround in front of 3,498 fans.

The mountain shifted slowly but with four of those draws in their last four league encounters the signs that Chelsea were edging towards flipping their fortunes against Cushing’s teams were there. “There is a big winning mentality growing in this group now,” said Mjelde, after victory saw them exorcise that ghost and extend an unbeaten league run to 11 months.

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In the early exchanges Chelsea looked the brighter side, with Ji So-yun at the heart of their midfield pulling the strings, the chance to go above City with a game in hand over their opponents a tasty carrot dangling in front of them.

With Hayes barking orders, pushing her team to up the pressure when out of possession, she looked the more anxious at not having made the most of their first-half edge. She was right to be concerned.

Shortly after Ji rattled the post having cut on to her left foot on the edge of the box, and just before the hour mark, City punished their profligacy. Keira Walsh pickpocketed Ramona Bachmann before looking up and sending a sweeping ball over the Chelsea defence to an onrushing Caroline Weir who swept the ball in at the far post.

Chelsea pushed for the reply, Bachmann immediately forcing a diving save from Ellie Roebuck. But Hayes’s team were not about to give up their unbeaten league run in a hurry and with 11 minutes left they finally broke past the excellent 20-year-old goalkeeper, England poking home the rebound after a Ji effort was palmed away.

Three minutes later and they doubled the lead, Roebuck only able to punch a cross to England who diverted it goalward and Mjelde was on hand to slam it into the back of the net. They were only the second and third goals City have conceded all season, the first having come from Arsenal’s Dutch striker Vivianne Miedema.

“Beth just shot and it hit my quad, a nice goal,” laughed Mjelde. “It was scrappy, but they’ll take it.”

Arsenal move two points clear

WSL champions Arsenal moved two points clear at the top after Vivianne Miedema scored either side of a stunning team goal finished with a wonderful looping volley from Kim Little at Reading.

Manchester United’s 18-year-old forward Lauren James scored twice and drew the foul that saw Katie Zelem join her on the scoresheet to help the Reds recover from an early own goal against Everton, in front of a watching Phil Neville. England goalkeeper Mary Earps punched a corner into her own net in the second minute but Casey Stoney’s team recovered to ensure they jump above Everton, on goal difference, into fourth.

Meanwhile, Liverpool scored a first goal from opener play to earn a second WSL point having drawn 1-1 with West Ham, Niamh Charles cancelling our Adriana Leon’s first half goal.

A Victoria Williams own goal gave Tottenham a win at home to Brighton. And, a goal each from Lucy Whipp and Abbi Grant against Bristol City was enough to lift Birmingham above Brighton.