WSL roundup: Chelsea & Manchester City keep pace at league summit, Birmingham grab late equaliser

The WSL fixture list treated us to four matches on Wednesday evening, with Chelsea and Manchester City both picking up wins, and two massive fixtures in the battle to avoid the drop.

Just as was the case last season, the WSL title race is hurtling towards a showdown decider between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Academy Stadium, with the pair set to meet on 25 April.

Chelsea currently hold a two-point lead over the Cityzens following their 3-0 victory over Everton at Kingsmeadow on Wednesday - despite Melanie Leupolz missing a penalty inside the opening minute thanks to a terrific Tinja-Riikka Korpela save.

The Blues, fresh from Sunday's Continental Cup final victory, took the lead after 14 minutes. The weekend's hat-trick hero Sam Kerr fed Fran Kirby - who had assisted each of Kerr's goals in the final against Bristol - and the England international cooly slotted home.

Kirby then turned provider in the second half as she teed up Pernille Harder to double the Blues' advantage following a slick team move, before Leupolz atoned for her penalty miss by adding a third 11 minutes from time.

Manchester City ensured Chelsea's lead at the WSL summit remained at two points as they cruised to a 3-0 win at Bristol City.

Just as Kerr and Kirby combining to score are constants for Chelsea, Chloe Kelly and Lauren Hemp registering assists and Sam Mewis scoring a header are as good as guaranteed every time City play.

Kelly laid on her side's opener by crossing for Caroline Weir to turn home first time, before Hemp fed Ellen White from the opposite flank for City's second. Mewis buried a looping header one minute from time to wrap up Gareth Taylor's side's ninth successive win.

Bristol dropped to the bottom of the table following the loss as relegation rivals West Ham picked up a draw against Birmingham - but the Hammers were denied all three points by a 94th minute equaliser.

Birmingham had led after nine minutes through Emily Murphy, but were left staring down the barrel of a fourth consecutive defeat as a poacher's finish from Emily van Egmond and a fizzing drive from Katerina Svitkova had Olli Harder on the brink of his first league win as West Ham manager.

However, Arsenal loanie Ruby Mace popped up at the back post in the fourth minute of stoppage time with a cushioned volley to cue scenes of delirium for Birmingham.

Brighton are as good as safe as they recorded their fourth straight victory - and third straight clean sheet - with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa, leaving Villa placed a precarious one point above the drop zone.

Aileen Whelan bundled home the opener and Inessa Kaagman netted her third goal in two games from the spot nine minutes from time to move the Seagulls up to sixth. Hope Powell's side are now closer to Arsenal in fourth than the relegation places following their remarkable run of form triggered by February's win over Chelsea.

This week's round of WSL fixtures conclude on Friday evening with the hotly anticipated clash between Arsenal and Manchester United.