World’s first $1m women’s footballer Girma has Chelsea debut cut short

The USA centre-back Naomi Girma’s debut for Chelsea ended early as she was brought off with an injury in their 2-2 draw at Brighton.

The world’s first $1m women’s footballer, who signed for Chelsea from San Diego Wave in January for a $1.1m (£874,000)fee and has had to wait patiently for her debut while recovering from a calf injury that caused her to miss the SheBelieves Cup in February, had to be withdrawn just before the hour mark. It was an absorbing contest in which a hard-working Brighton side give Chelsea more than just a scare.

The result maintained Chelsea’s unbeaten season so far in all competitions under Sonia Bompastor, but they dropped points in the league for only the second time. Chelsea had gone ahead early on thanks to an emphatic volley from France’s Sandy Baltimore, but the Netherlands left wing-back Marisa Olislagers drew Brighton level in the 22nd minute from a very tight angle.

Chelsea fell behind before half-time when Vicky Losada scored for the hosts but Lauren James netted from close range on the rebound with 29 minutes remaining, to move Chelsea within just seven games of potentially completing an entire Women’s Super League campaign unbeaten.

Their lead at the top was cut to just five points, however, because earlier on Sunday Manchester United recorded their seventh consecutive league victory to keep up the pressure on Chelsea. Marc Skinner’s second-placed side were 2-0 winners at home against Leicester after scoring from both of their only two shots on target.

The France forward Melvine Malard raced on to Ella Toone’s precisely placed ball to run through one-on-one and open the scoring in the 19th minute, before Malard turned provider for the left-winger Leah Galton, to tuck in the second goal with her right foot in first-half stoppage time. Malard was making just her second WSL start of the season, as the central striker in the absence of the in-form Norway forward Elisabeth Terland, who missed out with a wrist injury.

The division’s bottom side, Crystal Palace, made a losing start to life under their new manager, Leif Smerud, as Liverpool were 1-0 winners in south London in their own first game under their interim manager, Amber Whiteley.

Jasmine Matthews’s 10th-minute effort was enough to give the Merseyside club all three points three days after Matt Beard’s departure was announced. Both clubs had lost their managers in the space of a remarkable 30 hours, with Palace sacking Laura Kaminski 14 league games after she had guided them to promotion. The former Norway interim manager Smerud was appointed as her replacement on Saturday but his new side remain four points adrift at the foot of the table.

Palace’s survival hopes will, though, have been boosted ever so slightly by another defeat for second-bottom Aston Villa, who have lost three league games out of three since the arrival of their new head coach, Natalia Arroyo. The Spaniard, who has tasted victory with Villa in the Women’s FA Cup, saw her side succumb to a 2-0 home defeat against Everton, who are now 10 points clear of the relegation zone and looking very likely to be playing WSL football next season.

Manchester City also picked up an away victory, with Vivianne Miedema and Aoba Fujino on the scoresheet for Gareth Taylor’s team, either side of a Bethany England equaliser for Tottenham. The Japan winger Fujino showed good skill to fire in the winner with 12 minutes remaining.

• This story will be updated