LONDON (Reuters) – Substitute Rachel Williams nabbed a late winner for Manchester United as they beat Reading 1-0 to make the most of a Women’s Super League weekend hit by freezing weather to go top of the standings.
The win sent United into first place on 28 points, ahead of champions Chelsea on goal difference and three points ahead of third-placed Arsenal, who have a game in hand over the top two.
Chelsea’s game at home to Liverpool got underway on Sunday afternoon but was abandoned after five minutes amid safety concerns over the icy pitch, which led to angry reactions from some players.
“It’s mind boggling that there’s games/trainings being postponed because of frozen pitches throughout the league … we play in a cold country. We should have heated pitches too,” Chelsea’s Kadeisha Buchanan wrote in an Instagram story.
“Where’s our ratings as women footballers … like they honestly don’t rate us,” she added.
Arsenal’s away game against Brighton & Hove Albion was postponed, as was Tottenham Hotspur’s home fixture against bottom side Leicester City.
On Merseyside, Everton braved the cold to comfortably beat West Ham United 3-0, while on Saturday Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw by Aston Villa to leave them in fourth place, two points behind Arsenal.
(Reporting by Philip O’Connor; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
