Arsenal Women 5-0 Bristol City Women: Beth Mead and Alessia Russo score two goals each as Gunners run riot in front of goal
Beth Mead and Alessia Russo scored two goals each as Arsenal thumped WSL bottom club Bristol City 5-0 to boost their Women's Champions League qualification hopes and keep pace with the title race.
Even with manager Jonas Eidevall watching from the sidelines due to a touchline ban, the Gunners looked as fluent as they have looked all season as they raced three goals clear thanks to Mead's double and an Emma Powell own goal - all three goals involved impressive winger Caitlin Foord.
After the break, Russo added two more goals as Arsenal kept shooting. They ended the evening with 32 efforts on the Bristol City goal.
The result moves Arsenal nine points clear of fourth-placed Manchester United as Women's Champions League football looks even closer. They sit six points behind WSL leaders Man City, and three behind Chelsea, who have a game in hand.
Bristol City, meanwhile, are seven points adrift at the bottom of the table with four games remaining - and the top two still to play between now and May 18.
For Bristol City, the task was to get through Arsenal's first opportunity of the game and go from there. That came after seven minutes and they could not.
Foord pressed Powell into an error deep in the City half and that allowed Foord space in the area. The Australian's shot bounced off the post, leaving Mead with the simple task of tapping home.
It could have been two moments later as Arsenal worked a short corner to Victoria Pelova, whose shot struck the crossbar. Stina Blackstenius and Russo were then denied by City goalkeeper Fran Bentley, while Arsenal's Swedish striker failed to tap home Mead's crossfield shot from a few yards out.
Eventually, the floodgates began to open. More excellent play from Foord saw her cut the ball back
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