Chelsea secured a vital advantage in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League title race with a dominant win over league leaders Arsenal at Meadow Park.
Sam Kerr scored her first goal since joining the club, while Beth England and Sophie Ingle both netted wonder strikes, leaving Arsenal’s perfect home record in tatters inside 20 minutes.
Guro Reiten added a fourth before Beth Mead netted a consolation goal for the Gunners.
Chelsea were dominant throughout, and opened the scoring after just ten minutes through England’s moment of magic.
The Chelsea striker pulled out to the right, cut inside Louise Quinn and curled a beauty past Manuela Zinsberger from the corner of the box.
Just three minutes later the visitors doubled their lead, Kerr left unmarked at the back post to meet a Jonna Anderson cross and head in her first Barclays FA WSL goal.
Arsenal looked shell-shocked, and there was more to come, Ingle striking a sensational 20-yard volley into the corner of the net when the ball fell to her after a free kick.
Kerr and England both had glorious chances to add to their tallies, but both failed to hit the target from close range.
Reiten then extended the lead with a glancing header midway through the second half to put the game completely beyond doubt.
At the other end, the champions barely mustered a shot in the first half, their best effort coming when Katie McCabe forced Ann-Katrin Berger into a save with her feet.
After the break they showed signs of improvement, and finally pulled one back when Mead’s header was spilled over the line by Berger.
But the damage had been done by then, with Joe Montemurro’s side beaten at home for the first time in a year.
The win takes Chelsea to within a point of Arsenal and Manchester City, with a game in hand over their two title rivals, who meet each other in two weeks.
To follow the action, buy tickets and sign-up for The FA Player’s live Barclays FA Women’s Super League coverage visit womenscompetitions.thefa.com
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