Beth Mead scored twice as Arsenal thumped struggling West Ham 3-0 at Meadow Park in the Women’s Super League.
It did not take long for Arsenal to open the scoring as Frida Maanum put the hosts 1-0 up just two minutes in and Mead got her first since returning from injury in the 18th minute before she tapped in from six yards to make it 3-0 just before the break.
Jonas Eidevall’s team sit in second position and continue to pile pressure on the league leaders Chelsea, who stretched their winning run to six games in the league with a 5-2 win against Leicester.
Second-half goals from Hinata Miyazawa and Nikita Parris ensured that Manchester United returned to winning ways after their derby defeat by Manchester City with a 2-0 win against the rock-bottom Bristol City.
United were denied on several occasions in the first period by City’s inspired goalkeeper Olivia Clark, who kept out Parris, Leah Galton and Millie Turner. Marc Skinner’s side broke the deadlock five minutes after the break through Japanese international Miyazawa before Parris added a second as United clinched an away win.
Liverpool picked up their first win in three league matches with a convincing 4-0 win against Brighton. The Reds carried a 2-0 lead into the break thanks to strikes from Gemma Bonner and Shanice van de Sanden, and Ceri Holland nodded in from close range in the second half before Sophie Roman Haug added the gloss on a good afternoon for the hosts.
Netherlands forward Van de Sanden, who had missed the midweek Continental Cup defeat by Manchester United as her partner gave birth to a girl on Tuesday, celebrated becoming a mother with her first goal of the season.
“It’s been crazy, I’m so so happy,” she said. “I can’t wait to see my baby girl again. I can’t wait to hold her in my arms again. I can’t be more happy than today. This is our best performance of the season so far. We need to keep that up and then focus on the next one.”