Vivianne Miedema hit four goals as Arsenal defeated London City Lionesses 4-0 at Princes Park on Wednesday evening in the Continental Cup.

It was a must win game for the Gunners as they lost 4-1 to Chelsea in the opening game of the group and they needed to get points on the board.

Arsenal started on top and it was Catlin Foord who had the first attempt on goal as she cut inside before her shot was saved by Shae Yanez in the London City Lionesses goal.

However, the Lionesses roared back as Atlanta Primus linked up with Elizabeth Ejupi and she fizzed her effort wide of Fran Stenson’s post.

On 16 minutes it was the home side who had another good chance as Malin Gut lost the ball on the edge of the area and Alli Murphy fired a shot wide from the edge of the area.

However Joe Montemurro’s troops did hit the front with Vivianne Miedema as she picked the ball up on the halfway line and shrugged her way past two defenders before firing low into the bottom corner of the net across Yanez on 21 minutes.

One than became two six minutes later as Miedema linked up with Foord and the Netherlands international beat her marker from 30 yards out and fired her powerful effort across the keeper and into the bottom corner.

Arsenal were now very much on top and they had another chance when Jill Roord turned swiftly in the box before she shot over the crossbar on her return from injury.

Miedema then scored her hat-trick and her second consecutive first half hat-trick as she scored once against Tottenham Hotspur last time out in the Women’s Super League.

In the 40th minute she was found in the box and fired home from close range beyond the reach of the keeper.

Arsenal were playing with a real spring in their step and Lotte Wubben-Moy nearly picked Katie McCabe out with a cross but the ball was just too far ahead of her and the home side cleared the danger.

Montemurro then made a change at the break as Ruby Mace came on for Roord who got 45 minutes under her belt since returning from injury.

The Gunners started the second half once again on top as Miedema was played in but she was denied by a good save from Yanez as she pushed the strike away from the danger zone.

It was then all Arsenal pressure one way traffic as Danielle van de Donk picked out Lia Wälti and her thumping effort was well blocked by Hannah Short at the crucial time.

Short then came to London City Lionesses rescue as Miedema met a McCabe cross but Short did well to put her under pressure and Harley Bennett swept away the danger.

However Miedema did have her fourth as she picked the ball up inside the area and fired low into the far corner of the net across Yanez to complete another special night on an individual level.

Miedema was inches away from her fifth a matter of moments later when Wubben-Moy whipped a cross in from the right for the striker who was unmarked but she headed over the top.

Stenson was then to make a fine save as Hayley Nolan played in Lily Agg on 59 minutes and her effort was well parried away by the keeper to keep the Gunners clean-sheet intact.

McCabe who was nominated for October’s Women’s Super League player of the month was nearly in for a fifth as Miedema spotted her run and picked her out but Grace Neville was back and made a superb challenge.

Miedema was then substituted off on 62 minutes as Kim Little made her return and Leonie Maier came on for Wubben-Moy.

Maier was straight into the action as she whipped a cross in looking for Foord who moved into the number nine position but Bennett was on hand to clear the danger.

On 75 minutes Yanez was alert once again to make a superb double save as McCabe was kept out before the stopper denied the Irish International on the follow up.

Several moments later Foord was denied by the woodwork as the Australian international drilled a shot off the far post after working herself into a good position to get the shot away.

Gut then was inches away from making it five in the final action of the game as she was played through before she was crowded out by three defenders but still managed to get her shot away however Yanez did well to keep it out with a fine save.

Arsenal: Stenson, Wubben-Moy, Williamson, Schnaderbeck, McCabe, Wälti, Gut, Roord, van de Donk, Miedema, Foord.

Subs used: Maier, Mace, Little.

London City Lionesses: Yanez, Mackie, Bennett, Mason, Neville, Nolan, Agg, Murphy, Primus, Fitzgerald, Ejupi.

Subs used: Short, Kemppi, Fyfe, Rossiter, Priest.