Arsenal smash seven as they stroll past Bristol City

Both scored in the derby win over Tottenham last weekend and Little in particular was highly influential, taking her brace with aplomb before being withdrawn on the hour mark.

The results leaves Arsenal two points clear, while Bristol trail second-placed Brighton on goal difference.

Little opened the scoring in the 33rd minute with a cool finish after being played through on goal after a slick team move.

Arsenal’s second goal came on the stroke of half time when Jill Roord’s shot was bundled over her own line by Bristol City defender Gemma Evans.

On 51 minutes, a Frankie Brown handball gave Arsenal a penalty, for which captain Little stepped up and confidently converted.

Miedema added the fourth thanks to some ponderous Bristol City defending, leaving the Dutch star unmarked to chest down a corner before her shot beat keeper Sophie Baggaley.

The striker added her second with a tap-in from Lisa Evans’ cross on 76 minutes, before Jordan Nobbs steered a low cross home with three minutes to go.

Jennifer Beattie completed the thrashing with a piledriver struck from outside the box in the dying seconds.

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Arsenal manager Joe Montemurro said: "We tried a few things tonight, had a lot of the ball and dictated play

"You can see how well Kim Little’s playing - she’s commanding, enforcing her stamp on the game and dictating when we want to slow it down and speed it up.

"She’s a fabulous player, we all know that and probably doesn’t get the plaudits she deserves on a world scale."

Bristol manager Tanja Oxtoby added: "We never came here expecting to blow Arsenal out of the water, the nature in which we conceded the goals was poor but so there’s no surprises in them taking the points

"There’s probably regret over four of the goals, you're looking at four clear ones. The two in the first half were just unnecessary, one’s from our throw in and the other’s an own goal just before half-time, that just killed the game.

"Our priority has always been the league, wherever we finish in this group stage, we’ll take that. We have to be focused on the league given the position we’re in and the resources we have. We can only control our last game now and see what happens."

STATS

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, Viktoria Schnaderbeck, Louise Quinn, Jennifer Beattie, Leonie Maier, Jill Roord, Kim Little, Lisa Evans, Jordan Nobbs, Danielle Van de Donk, Vivianne Miedema

Substitutions: Lia Walti for Kim Little 64’, Beth Mead for Vivienna Miedema 80’

Unused Subs: Manuela Zinsberger, Leah Williamson, Katie McCabe

Bristol City (4-2-3-1): Sophie Baggaley, Flo Allen, Meghan Sargeant, Gemma Evans, Frankie Brown, Kirsten Reilly, Olivia Chance, Charlie Wellings, Carla Humphrey, Yana Daniels, Ebony Salmon

Substitutions: Katie Robinson for Carla Humphrey 46’, Georgia Wilson for Ebony Salmon 46’, Maisy Collis for Charlie Wellings 64’

Unused Subs: Eartha Cummings, Ellie Strippel, Ellie-Mai Sanford

Referee: Louise Saunders

Attendance: 805