Women’s Super League: West Ham United 1-9 Arsenal

Jill Roord scored her second straight hat-trick as Arsenal dismantled 10-man West Ham in front of 734 fans at Chigwell Construction Stadium.

After a tight first half hour, the game changed when Gilly Flaherty was sent off by the hosts after falling 2-1 behind.

Then Arsenal dominated, scoring two more times before the break before a ruthless display in the second half in front of goal.

Vivianne Miedema scored a double, with Kim Little, Beth Mead, Leah Williamson and Caitlin Foord also finding the net.

With the victory, Arsenal move to the top of the table, with the rest of the weekend’s games on Sunday, having scored 15 goals in their first two league games.

For West Ham, meanwhile, the reaction to Flaherty’s second yellow card, given out of dissent, left much to be desired, as the visitors seemed to score with every attack.

Shipping leads to a one-sided show

Before the expulsion of Hammers captain Flaherty, the hosts were well in the game, leveling through Kenza Dali’s half volley from outside the area after Dutch midfielder Roord put Arsenal ahead.

But, after Miedema found the roof of the net to make it 2-1 and West Ham dropped to 10 players, the first elite English league game to be held with fans since March ended as a contest.

Scottish midfielder Little finished off a passing play before England forward Mead leaned home to make it 4-1 in the interval and, while Roord’s second was offside, he scored the goal to open the floodgates. of the second half.

In fact, he had secured the match ball and it had been substituted before the hour, finding the bottom corner of Miedema’s pass for his third.

Arsenal scored just twice in the final 35 minutes as they relaxed, though their opponents were unable to do anything going forward despite Rachel Daly making her first start after joining on loan earlier this month.