Chelsea's flying forward, Arsenal's midfield maestro, Manchester United's attacker - three standout stars from the WSL weekend

The Barclays FA WSL returned for the penultimate weekend of games before Christmas and served up an extra helping of talent and application.
Arsenal's Kim LittleArsenal's Kim Little
Arsenal's Kim Little

The big game of the weekend saw Manchester City travel to Kingsmeadow to take on Chelsea and looked like they might be coming away with a win until Bethany England scored and set Maren Mjelde up to earn her side a 2-1 victory.

Table toppers Arsenal headed to Reading fresh off the back of their record 11-1 win over Bristol City last time, and although the quantity of goals wasn’t quite as high, the quality was out of this world.

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Meanwhile Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Birmingham City all returned to winning ways while Liverpool and Bristol City’s search for a first victory of the season continues.

Kim Little – Arsenal

The midfield maestro is an automatic inclusion this week for her goal in Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Reading at Adams Park.

If you’re a fan of Jack Wilshere’s 2013/14 Premier League goal of the season winner against Norwich City – you’ll love this strike too.

Little picks the ball up short from a corner and plays a one-two with Leah Williamson to get herself into the box before doing exactly the same again with Jordan Nobbs to get beyond the last defender.

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Under pressure, and with just the keeper to beat, the Scot chests the ball under control and lifts it sublimely over Grace Moloney’s head and into the corner of the net.

Lauren James – Manchester United

The James family is overflowing with talent with Lauren putting hers on full display in Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Everton and brother Reece breaking into Frank Lampard’s first team at Chelsea this season.

Unlike her more defensively-minded sibling, Lauren is an out-and-out attacker and proved it by having a hand in all of United’s goals on Sunday, scoring twice and earning a penalty for captain Katie Zelem to stick away.

Still only 18 years old, James is now tied as second top goalscorer in the FA WSL with five strikes already this season and is starting to show the consistent form that saw her emerge as one of the brightest young talents in this country as a Championship player last season.

Bethany England – Chelsea

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So often this season England has come up with the goods for Emma Hayes’s side and Sunday was no different as the flying forward turned the game at Kingsmeadow on its head.

It took until the final ten minutes were approaching but the 25-year-old was alert on the line to turn home an equaliser before her persistence two minutes later led to Mjelde getting the all-important winner in front of ecstatic 3,500 fans.