Manchester City maintained their 100% start and took their goal tally for the season to nine in two games with a thrilling 5-2 victory over Arsenal at the Academy Stadium.
Jane Ross opened the scoring six minutes before half-time with a clever near-post volley to turn home Abbie McManus’s cross.
Arsenal were back on level terms just before the break, Emma Mitchell powering home a header from Jordan Nobbs’s corner, but parity lasted only a matter of seconds, England captain Steph Houghton thrashing the ball into the roof of the net after goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal had failed to collect a City corner.
Within two minutes of the restart Arsenal were level once more, Heather O’Reilly capitalising on confusion in the City defence to head home an equaliser.
Nobbs hit the bar midway through the second half but Georgia Stanway gave City the lead for the third time, slotting home after a neat move, with 20 minutes remaining and on this occasion they refused to relinquish it. Izzy Christiansen made it 4-2 three minutes later and Jill Scott made certain of victory with a thumping volley 10 minutes from time.
Arsenal’s Alex Scott described the performance as unacceptable. “Losing always hurts, losing like that is another level of hurt!” she tweeted. “Sorry to those who came all the way to support us today, that was unacceptable.”
In the Friday night game, Reading thumped Liverpool 3-0. Fara Williams opened the scoring with a scorching volley, Remi Allen tapped home the second from close range and Brooke Chaplen added the third with 17 minutes to go.
The FA WSL
(@FAWSL)Take a bow, @fara_williams47! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/6i8JfYjWkJ
Weekend fixtures
Saturday Bristol City v Yeovil Town (5.30); Sunderland v Chelsea (7.30).
Sunday Birmingham City v Everton (12.30).