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.

WATCH: All the goals!

How Arsenal thumped sorry Bristol City

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 to Mead, who took two attempts but eventually fired past Bentley at the near post.

Two minutes later, it was three as Foord fed the underlapping Catley down the left and her cross took a heavy deflection off Powell, over Bentley and into the top corner.

Bristol City were only allowed one touch in the Arsenal during the opening period – made by Lisa Evans whose cross could not be converted by Ffion Morgan in the middle. Arsenal, meanwhile, set a new WSL record this season of 44 – that was how dominant the Gunners were.

Arsenal’s dominance continued with the shot tally racking up – but Bristol City had the best of the early second-half chances as Jamie-Lee Napier opened up the Gunners defence with a stunning pass for Emily Syme. Catley got back to recover and Arsenal goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo had to be equal to Amalie Thestrup on the rebound.

But back came Arsenal who scored a fourth on the hour mark. Kim Little found Russo in a pocket of space around 30 yards out and the Lionesses forward’s stunning drive was too hot for Bentley to handle.

Arsenal took off Foord and Mead but the pressure did not ease on the visitors. Bentley produced a stunning fingertip save to deny Emily Fox’s long-range drive, but she could do nothing about Arsenal’s fifth as substitute Katie McCabe teed up Russo, who swept home from the edge of the box.

Russo nearly had a hat-trick but she poked McCabe’s cross just wide of the far post. And with Laura Wienroither returning after nearly a year out with an ACL injury, plus 17-year-old Katie Reid making her Gunners debut from the bench, it was a perfect night for the Gunners.