Nikita Parris makes her mark again

Aged only 24, Nikita Parris overtook Eni Aluko to become the all-time WSL top scorer when she scored twice for Manchester City at Liverpool. I know it’s only modern history – the WSL started in 2011 – but it is still a landmark achievement. She’s a wide player first and foremost, who has played most of her career for City and England on the wing, which makes it more of an achievement. She did play as a No 9 with me for Everton, and she has been used in that position again by City this season. In her last game against Reading she was not as influential as she normally is from a wide position, but she is learning a new role and I think she would admit that she is not at her peak yet. She has contributed massively for England in qualifying for next year’s World Cup – she was her country’s top scorer with six goals – and just keeps growing as a player. She has always been tenacious and aggressive, and I think the ferociousness of her style of play is something that young players can really look at and learn from.

• Nikita Parris: you’ll still find me shouting at referees

Victory makes history for Yeovil

Yeovil’s 1-0 win over Everton was their first top-flight victory ever, ended a 41-game winless run and is great not just for the division’s outsiders but for the league as a whole. Nobody wants to see a team languishing at the bottom, uncompetitive and helpless. Yeovil have kept fighting, they have never given up, they are obviously improving and they should relish this moment and kick on from here. They finally have something to build on and can look to the future with optimism. On Sunday Yeovil took their chance, and Everton didn’t take any of theirs. The visitors had enough of them – 28 shots in total, 12 on target – and it wasn’t the first time this season that they have had more shots than the opposition but come away with nothing. Everton’s performances have been below par, given the quality of their squad and their own expectations.

• In the Women’s Super League, look down for the tensest action

Are Chelsea back in business?

After beating Liverpool last week Chelsea went to Fiorentina on Wednesday and won 6-0 and, after their recent struggles in front of goal, that was exactly the kind of convincing victory they needed. On Sunday they scored more than once in a league game for the first time this season when they beat West Ham 2-0. They have been creating plenty of chances, but they have not been displaying the kind of attacking polish that took them to the title last season, and have been failing to put them in the back of the net. Now they have the kick-start they have so badly needed. They have found another gear, and will hope to be more competitive from now on. It could already be too late for them to retain their title – they are eight points behind Arsenal, who have a game in hand – but if they can get on a run you never know where it might take them. The quality is certainly there, they just need to not look too far ahead. They have more internationals than any other WSL team, and are the only English side still in the Champions League, but having qualified for the quarter-finals they don’t play again in that competition until March and now have a bit of breathing space, and the chance to fully concentrate on domestic competition.

• Chelsea hammer Fiorentina to reach Champions League last eight

Fara Williams shows Neville what he’s missing

Fara Williams in action for Reading Ladies this season. Photograph: Kieran McManus for The FA/REX/Shutterstock

England play friendlies against Austria and Sweden over the next week, and will do so without Fara Williams, who Phil Neville omitted from the squad he named last Tuesday. Whatever his reasons, Williams will not have taken it lightly. She has been in the squad since the late 1990s and wants to be involved every time she is fit and available. Certainly the snub would have given her extra motivation when her Reading side played Bristol City on Sunday, a desire to prove that she is still fit enough, strong enough and fast enough. Nobody has ever doubted her strength of character because that girl has been through a lot, both on and off the pitch, but if anybody was doubting her she came up with the perfect answer by scoring twice in a fantastic individual display. Her first goal in particular was fantastic, trademark Fara Williams. She is a magical player, a genuine legend of the game, and for me she is still an integral part of the England squad. She turns 35 in January and has 170 caps to her name, and you can’t leave that kind of experience at home when you go into a World Cup, certainly not when she remains on top form.

• Fara Williams: the big interview

Seventh heaven for Arsenal

Birmingham City represented a tough test for the league’s runaway leaders, probably their toughest yet. They are a very stubborn, resilient, organised and dogged team, brilliant in defence and with Ann-Katrin Berger in fantastic form in goal. Arsenal have become used to blowing teams away this season but this week they had to show a different side to their game. They had to bide their time, stick to their gameplan, and trust that they would eventually find a way through – and that is what happened, with all the goals in a 3-1 win coming in the second half. Jordan Nobbs has been unbelievable and she scored two more goals, showing the energy and drive that she’s got from midfield. Her first goal was a perfect example: Birmingham like to play out from the back, but to do that against Arsenal you have to get it 100% right, 100% of the time. On this occasion they were pressured into an error and Jordan just drove down their throat and finished the move beautifully. Some people thought Arsenal might stutter when Kim Little got injured but Lia Walti has come in and if anything she has made them stronger. The Swiss was phenomenal on Sunday.

• Arsenal 3-1 Birmingham City – as it happened