Chelsea secure dramatic late victory against Aston Villa to maintain slim WSL title aspirations

Chelseas triumph elevates them to second position with 40 points, trailing leaders Manchester City by nine, as both teams have completed 19 of their 22 scheduled matches.

Although a remote possibility of clinching the league remains, Chelsea must triumph in their final three fixtures, while Manchester City, who have conceded just seven points, would need to falter in all of theirs.

Chelseas tenuous championship dreams appeared on the verge of collapse versus Villa, following an initial advantage scored by Chasity Grant for the away side, yet a burst of three goals within eight minutes from Sam Kerr, Naomi Girma, and Lauren James swung the momentum back to the hosts.

Nevertheless, Chelseas persistent defensive vulnerabilities this campaign were highlighted once more, as Villa mounted a comeback to draw level with a pair of rapid strikes by Kirsty Hanson.

Sjoeke Nueskens exquisite strike in the 82nd minute ultimately sealed the result for the home team.

Among the other fixtures that day, West Ham United ended in a 1-1 stalemate hosting London City Lionesses, whereas struggling Leicester City are due to confront Brighton and Hove Albion later on Sunday.

The previous day, Manchester City reinforced their dominance at the summit through a convincing 3-0 derby success against Manchester United, as Arsenal enhanced their contention for runners-up spot by overcoming Tottenham Hotspur 5-2.