Women's Super League One: Arsenal Ladies 5-1 Sunderland Ladies

Image source, The FA

Image caption, Arsenal Ladies are now nine points behind leaders Manchester City, with a game in hand

Sunderland Ladies captain Stephanie Bannon scored two own goals as Women's FA Cup winners Arsenal Ladies moved up to fourth in Women's Super League One.

Bannon headed into her own net on two minutes before poking in another, and Natalia's double put Arsenal 4-0 ahead.

After Dominique Janssen's fine fifth, Beth Mead grabbed a late consolation.

Sunderland, who last won a league match in July 2015, are three points above bottom-club Doncaster Rovers Belles, who have played four matches fewer.

In the first match after the WSL's mid-season break, Arsenal made it three wins from an unbeaten run of four matches, which includes' May's Wembley win over Chelsea.

If the Gunners' first two goals were scrappy, Natalia's brace was superb, first finishing from close range after good skill from Vicky Losada before combining with her fellow Spaniard again to send a sweet volley into the bottom corner.

Bannon did well after the break to clear a Losada effort off the line, but nothing could stop Janssen's powerful drive to make it 5-0.

Mead's low finish provided a late cheer for the visitors, who had just two shots on target and have now conceded 12 goals in their last two visits to Arsenal, following April's 7-0 cup semi-final loss.

Arsenal Ladies striker Natalia: "We didn't start very well in the league. We missed a few points and that's not very good for our confidence.

"Now, after the break, I think the new players are settling in and giving really good things to the team.

"We are a better team now and we can play like that, so we're fighting for the league until the end. It's great to be back after the break with three points."

Sunderland Ladies head coach Carlton Fairweather: "The positives from the game were that we came out in the second half and did really well.

"We got a goal, put them under pressure a bit, created a couple of chances - obviously the one we took from Beth was positive.

"At half-time I told them that we needed to be more ruthless in terms of the opportunities that we get in front of the goal, but also be positive and make sure we defend well.

"The fact we've given away two own goals and the deflected goal doesn't help, especially the first own goal, which was scored in under 90 seconds."