WSL: Arsenal Women 3 Yeovil Town Ladies 0
Kim Little scored twice as Arsenal beat bottom-placed Yeovil 3-0 to record their first back-to-back league victories since November.
The first-half finished goalless as Arsenal struggled to break down Yeovil’s defence, but the hosts scored three second-half goals in under 15 minutes to pick up their 12th league win of the season.
Captain Little scored either side of Beth Mead’s sublime curling effort to pile more misery on Yeovil, who remain bottom with just three points from 14 games.
The hosts dominated possession from the start but could not find a way through a robust Yeovil defence, as Vivianne Miedema’s powerful early attempt was deflected behind for a corner.
The visitors, wary of the threat posed by the WSL’s current top scorer Miedema, continued to defend deep in their own half and managed to hold off efforts from Little and Danielle van de Donk.
Arsenal pushed forward in numbers, forcing their opponents to rely on counter-attacks, and they almost found their breakthrough when the ball fell to Miedema in the six-yard box but Yeovil defender Hannah Short made the block as the first half ended goalless.
The first real chance of the second half fell to Mead, but the winger saw her glancing header tipped round the post by Yeovil goalkeeper Megan Walsh.
But Arsenal were finally rewarded for their relentless pursuit of an opener when Little showed her quick feet in the box before firing a deflected effort past Walsh.
Moments later and Arsenal doubled their lead when Mead cut inside and sent a stunning curling effort into the top corner, before Little made no mistake from the spot to wrap up the victory for the home side.
The win means Arsenal are now two points behind leaders Manchester City with a game in hand, just three days before the two sides meet in Sheffield for the Continental Tyres Cup final.
Arsenal (4-3-2-1): Sari Van Veenendaal, Katrine Veje, Janni Arnth, Leah Williamson, Danielle Van De Donk, Kim Little (C), Vivianne Miedema, Louise Quinn, Lisa Evans, Dominique Bloodworth, Beth Mead
Subs: Katie McCabe for Arnth 58, Ava Kuyken for Miedema 82, Amelia Hazard for Veje 82
Unused subs: Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, Amelia Hazard, Cat Albuquerque
Yeovil Town (5-4-1): Megan Walsh (C), Megan Alexander, Emily Syme, Nicola Cousins, Hannah Short, Bonnie Howard, Annie Heatherson, Ellie Mason, Charlotte Buxton, Rachel McLauchlan, Erin Bloomfield
Subs: Olivia Fergusson for Bloomfield 46, Emily Donovan for Heatherson 70, Amy Goddard for Charlotte Buxton 90
Unused subs: Monique Fishcher, Mia North, Thierry-Jo Gauvain, Charlie Taylor
Bookings: Heatherson 38, Short 65, Cousins 73
Referee: Kirsty Dowle
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