1) Stanway turns up heat to reignite title race

Georgia Stanway turned up the heat on Arsenal, with her double not only securing victory for Manchester City but also reigniting the title race. Just as Arsenal were threatening to pull away, a stellar City show stopped a slick team in their tracks, limiting a free-scoring Arsenal to a handful of chances to move within touching distance of their rivals. Nick Cushing’s side stretched the pitch and exploited the opposition defence, finding a cutting edge that has too often eluded them this campaign. City showcased a ruthless streak in front of goal, scoring two of their three shots on target. Their latest display was their most polished this season, with Stanway again excelling, with her wonderful solo effort after the break rounding off the scoring. For City, they must use Sunday’s performance as a benchmark going forward. There is a lot of football to be played but City will fancy their chances of taking it to the wire, which is fitting given their final match of the season is a mouthwatering date with Arsenal on 12 May.

• Stanway inflicts first WSL defeat on Arsenal

2) Arsenal miss Nobbs and Little in defeat

Without Jordan Nobbs and Kim Little, both of whom are nursing long-term injuries, Arsenal’s defensive vulnerability has been exposed. Nobbs and Little are both leaders and Manchester City were able to waltz through the Arsenal spine too easily on Sunday. Little is expected to return from a broken leg in the New Year but Nobbs’ absence is even more significant for this Arsenal team. The England international is a midfield dynamo, an unrelenting box-to-box player and her tenacity in both boxes is sorely missed. The league leaders are inexperienced in defence, but it is the void left in midfield that has exposed one of Arsenal’s few shortcomings. So often, we have seen Nobbs wear teams down, hustling opponents into mistakes but Arsenal lacked a little fervour against City. Bereft of their usual zip or spark, Arsenal failed to pick holes in City or exert their game-plan so effectively, and they were duly punished.

• Montemurro smooths Arsenal’s ride to the summit

3) Everton steal bragging rights on Merseyside

Derby day was blue on Merseyside – in the WSL at least. Everton picked up a crucial win over their neighbours to move off the bottom of the table, with exquisite strikes by Inessa Kaagman and Simone Magill earning Willie Kirk victory in his first game in charge. “What better game to get our first win than in the Merseyside derby?” Magill said. “We thoroughly deserved it and I am so proud of the girls.” Kirk, who left his position as assistant manager at Manchester United to take the post at Everton, did a brilliant job at Bristol City, imprinting his style and instilling a great camaraderie to help them back to the top tier, and there is no reason why he cannot help Everton soar up the table. Kirk already appears to have galvanised the Toffees and faces his former side Bristol this weekend before another crunch match against lowly Brighton. On and off the pitch, Kirk will bring fresh ideas to the club following the departure of long-serving manager Andy Spence and Everton are ostensibly already reaping the rewards. “We all really believe that this is the start of something special,” Magill added.

4) Chelsea win again – but are yet to find top gear

Chelsea are slowly clawing their way back up the table, after a fifth consecutive win pushed Emma Hayes’s side closer towards the early pacesetters. Victory over Reading, courtesy of Ji So-yun’s 50th strike for the club was enough to earn victory, but Chelsea were again guilty of profligacy in front of goal. They dominated the game at Kingsmeadow – it was one of their best performances this season – but are yet to activate full-throttle. At this point last season, they were breezing past teams but the reigning champions are yet to convince this campaign. Chelsea are making hard work of matches, though it seems they have blown away those early-season cobwebs and gradually they are grinding their way through the gears, now unbeaten in seven. Perhaps there was a bit of a hangover from their stunning double-winning season, including a Champions League semi-final appearance. They are not short of character or quality, but are yet to perform at their truly imperious best.

5) Skinner’s Birmingham a tough nut to crack

Birmingham will not go quietly. Marc Skinner’s side edged out Yeovil to continue to stay hot on the heels of the division’s top two. Birmingham sit in third, within five points of the summit and Skinner has done a superb job as he continues to eke out the very maximum from his squad. There is no reason they cannot sustain their form, although they face a litmus test on Sunday, when they travel to Manchester to take on City. They have hardly been prolific – City have scored more than twice as many goals this season – but Birmingham have coped remarkably without the injured Ellen White and Rachel Williams, weighing in with goals from all quarters, with Lucy Staniforth opening the scoring against Yeovil. They are not reliant on any player nor has Skinner been afraid to shuffle the pack at times. Birmingham have developed a knack of winning tightly-contested games too, and will be a tough nut to crack.

• BT Sport has coverage of FA Women’s Super League all season. Watch Manchester City v Birmingham City on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport 4K UHD on Sunday, 9 December, kick-off 12.15pm