If “women against girls” was an apt description for the reverse fixture, it is worth rehashing after a full-time Manchester United moved four points clear of part-time Tottenham in the race for the Championship with a 5-1 win against their title rivals, over whom they also have a game in hand.

“Our girls are working full-time, committed three times a week to try and put the effort in, and they’ve come up against a good side,” the Spurs manager, Karen Hills, said. “We knew that we probably weren’t going to be able to match them physically and in fitness levels for 90 minutes. We had a game plan where we were going to hit them on the counter but to concede two goals early doors put our game plan out of the window.”

The United manager, Casey Stoney, said: “We knew it was a difficult place to come. We knew Tottenham would be organised, they’ve got a good manager in Karen Hills and we knew the pitch would be a test for us because it’s not what we’re used to.”

At Leigh Sports Village in November things were straightforward for United. A 4-1 win ended Spurs’ perfect start to the season and the home side were physically and technically dominant – their full-time status evident against a team of semi-professionals.

At Cheshunt Sports Stadium it took only five minutes for the league leaders to break down their title rivals. A half‑cleared corner landed at the feet of Katie Zelem on the left-hand edge of the penalty area. She looked up, took a touch and stroked the ball delightfully over and down past the outstretched arms of Chloe Morgan.

Another drubbing seemed on the cards, with the Spurs back four being repeatedly caught off guard by United’s pace. Leah Galton was superbly effective on the left and linked up nicely with Ella Toone throughout the match. And the pair combined early on only for Galton to be shoved to the ground in the penalty area. Up stepped Zelem to convert from the spot.

Quick Guide Arsenal seal Champions League berth Show Arsenal secured Champions League football for the first time in seven years after Katie McCabe’s late strike earned victory at Birmingham. The Gunners remain a point ahead of Manchester City who survived a scare at home to Liverpool, Jen Beattie’s 95th minute winner ensuring they took all three points. Chelsea were held at home by West Ham, former Blue Gilly Flaherty cancelling out Beth England’s first-half strike. Brooke Chaplen’s second half goal against Bristol City gave Reading their first win in seven games and lifted them above West Ham into sixth. Beleaguered Yeovil Town – who had 10 points deducted midweek due to ongoing financial concerns – stalled confirmation of their relegation with a win at Everton. Suzanne Wrack

Rather than let their heads drop Spurs grew in confidence. Coral Haines’s long-distance effort narrowly grazed the bar. As the half ticked to a close, a free-kick wide on the right was swung into the box by the Spurs captain, Jenna Schillaci, and, evading everyone, dipped over Siobhan Chamberlain and into the net to reduce the deficit.

Renée Hector then missed a gilt-edged chance to level the scores, poking wide after she found herself on the end of Emma Beckett’s free-kick. “We had a little wobble when they scored their goal,” Stoney said. “We needed to get in at half-time and regroup and calm everyone down and go: ‘Right, OK. How are we going to win the game? This is how we’re going to do it.’”

Frustrated by Spurs’ late charge, United came out for the second half with renewed purpose and it took only two minutes for them to re-establish their two-goal lead, Galton again breaking down the left and putting in a cross for Mollie Green to hit first time past Morgan.

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United continued to look the more dangerous. A Morgan leg denied Lauren James before Jess Sigsworth headed home from the substitute Lizzie Arnot’s cross. Galton was then rewarded for her efforts, heading home from a Zelem free-kick with two minutes to play for United’s fifth goal.

The league is now United’s to lose and, with their final four games against the bottom four teams, it is hard to see them slipping.