Step forward, Matildas' rising star Courtney Nevin - on her 21st birthday too.

The day after Souttar assisted on a key goal in Leicester City's Premier League win over Tottenham, on-loan Nevin did the same on Sunday for the Foxes' women's team, setting up their expertly worked winner against Liverpool in the WSL.

It was a crucial goal, as well. Leicester Women are struggling at the foot of the table but the 1-0 away win has put them just one point away from safety in the battle for top-flight survival. 

In the eighth minute, quick thinking between Nevin and striker Hannah Cain made all the difference for Leicester.

In what looked like a well-worked training ground move from a corner, Cain peeled away from her markers to latch on to Nevin's sharp, short delivery and fired home first time through a sea of bodies.

It turned out to be the winner, even if most of the rest of Nevin's afternoon was spent on defensive duty trying to soak up the pressure for an equaliser from the home side.

In just her second match for the club since she was signed on loan from Swedish side Hammarby IF last month, this really did feel like a coming of age for the former Western Sydney and Melbourne Victory fullback on her landmark birthday.

Leicester are now one point behind Reading and two behind Brighton, who were hammered 6-2 by Aston Villa, for whom Matildas' striker Emily Gielnik failed to join in the goal fest in her 20-minute cameo as substitute.

In the day's big match, Manchester United beat Tottenham 2-1 to move top, but a straight red card for England international Ella Toone for an altercation with Spurs' Eveliina Summanen could dent their title challenge as she now faces a three-match ban.

United top the table on 32 points, now one point clear of champions Chelsea, who have a game in hand - but Toone's punishment means she'll miss the key away fixture against Sam Kerr's Blues at Kingsmeadow on March 12.