Dominant Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the Women’s Super League table after thrashing Reading 4-0 at Meadow Park on Thursday evening.

As the rain came down prior to kick-off, both teams showed solidarity with Ukraine following the Russian invasion, by raising the yellow and blue colours of the flag to loud and sustained applause from the crowd.

Jonas Eidevall’s classy Gunners made the game safe by half-time through a trio of goals as they moved five points clear of second place Chelsea, while making it 10 wins out of 12 in the top flight against the Berkshire outfit.

Two goals in two minutes put the home side on the path to victory with Vivianne Miedema opening the scoring on 22 minutes, and Katie McCabe doubling lead 120 seconds later.

The biggest cheer of the night came when Arsenal and England captain Leah Williamson, starting her first WSL game since November, complete with Ukraine sweatband on her wrist, powered in the third goal, with the most emphatic headed goal you will see all season.

Williamson’s return from a serious hamstring injury made it three clean sheets in four starts alongside Brazil centre-back Rafaelle Souza, after the 30-year-old joined Arsenal joined on a free transfer in January after a spell with Chinese side Changchun Zhuoyue.

Substitute Beth Mead thudded the bar after the break, before Stina Blackstenius made it four on 72 minutes slotting home the lively Miedema's cross, with the defeat meaning sixth-placed Reading have lost back-to-back league games.

Miedema's goal means she has scored in seven consecutive games against the Royals and draws level with Chelsea's Sam Kerr on nine for the season.

Speaking afterwards Eidevall hailed the lively Miedema, saying: “She was brilliant tonight, it helps a lot to have a player with that technique, you can smash the ball at her and she will control it.

“Which makes it so hard to defend those spaces against her. Her playing a little bit deeper does not mean that she is not going to be on the end of attacks and that’s so important.

“It’s a starting position and that’s a position we can link up together but if you see how many times she made the final pass, or shot or second assist. She has a hand in most of our attacks today. It was very, very well done from her.”

Eidevall’s impressive side, seeking their first league title since 2019, face Birmingham on Sunday, while Reading, face a challenging run of fixtures with games against Tottenham, Manchester United and Manchester City.