Man City's European hopes dented by 1-1 WSL draw with Everton

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Everton hold Manchester City to draw in WSL

Identical twins Sara and Karen Holmgaard combine for Everton to cancel out Manchester City's opening goal in the Women's Super League.

Updated: Apr 20, 2025, 11:08 am

MANCHESTER, England, April 20 (Reuters) - Manchester City's hopes of European football next season were all but extinguished on Sunday as they were held to a 1-1 home draw by Everton in the Women's Super League to leave them seven points adrift of third-placed Manchester United with three games left.

With the top two of Chelsea and Arsenal both involved in Champions League semi-finals this weekend, City's slip-up left them fourth on 36 points, meaning they will have to win all of their remaining games and hope that United lose all theirs if they are to overtake them.

Chelsea, who take on Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final later on Sunday, top the standings on 48 points, three ahead of Arsenal with a game in hand, with Manchester United two points further back.

Full back Kerstin Casparij got City off to a perfect start with a goal in the 13th minute, but Everton equalised through Karen Holmgaard 20 minutes later, and a combination of dogged defending and wasteful finishing from their hosts led to a frustrating stalemate.

In Sunday's late kick-off, Aston Villa threw a way a two-goal lead at Tottenham Hotspur but still managed to emerge with a 3-2 victory thanks to a stoppage-time winner from substitute Kirsty Hanson.

On Saturday, Oliva Smith and Leanne Kiernan stuck first-half goals for Liverpool as they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 to climb into fifth place, while Manchester United were held to a scoreless draw by West Ham United.

(Reporting by Philip O'Connor, editing by Ed Osmond)