Alessia Russo struck a hat-trick as Manchester United beat Leicester 5-1 to move three points clear at the top of the Women's Super League.
England striker Russo's first-half double put United in control and she added her third early in the second period soon after Remy Siemsen had reduced the deficit for the Foxes.
Russo then set up Leah Galton for United's fourth and substitute Lucia Garcia added their fifth as Marc Skinner's side cruised to their 11th league win from 14 matches this season to keep the pressure on reigning champions Chelsea.
Chelsea, who face London rivals Arsenal in the League Cup final at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon, have two games in hand and play United at Kingsmeadow next weekend.
Russo, out of contract in the summer, has scored eight goals in 12 league appearances this season and United are hoping she signs a new deal after turning down two world-record bids from Arsenal for the 24-year-old last month.
Bunny Shaw scored a hat-trick as Manchester City came from a goal down to beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 and move second.
Norway international Celine Bizet had given Spurs a shock lead against the run of play away to City, who dominated throughout.
Jamaican Shaw levelled in the final seconds of the first-half with a close-range header before coolly slotting home a penalty two minutes into the second half.
Shaw completed her hat-trick late on, firing into the roof of the net from inside the area for her 13th goal of the season to secure City boss Gareth Taylor's 73rd victory on his 100th game in charge.
Aston Villa narrowed the gap on fourth-placed Arsenal to three points after extending their unbeaten league run to five matches with a 2-0 win at Everton.
Kenza Dali gave Villa an early lead as her shot took a slight deflection and found its way past Courtney Brosnan from Rachel Daly's pass.
Everton defender Megan Finnigan's own goal from Mayumi Pacheco's low cross with just over 20 minutes remaining ensured the Merseysiders fell to a sixth league defeat of the season.
Rachel Rowe fired a late winner as Reading beat West Ham 2-1 at home to climb from second-bottom up to ninth.
Charlie Wellings netted a second-half opener for Reading with a fine drive that found the corner.
How the teams lined up | Match stats
But it was cancelled out by France forward Viviane Asseyi's fifth league goal of the season when she poked home from substitute Izzy Atkinson's cross.
However, Rowe found the top corner with a stunning effort from outside the box which goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold could only get fingertips to.
West Ham hit the woodwork late on through Grace Fisk's header, but the hosts held on to claim a crucial victory which sees them move above Brighton and Tottenham in the bottom half of the table.
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