Arsenal moved five points clear of the WSL title holders, Chelsea, with a dominant 4-0 defeat of Reading. If Arsenal were feeling any pressure with Chelsea breathing down their necks, two points behind them and holding a game in hand prior to kick-off, then it did not show at rain-lashed Borehamwood. Reading could have been a banana skin on their title charge. The Royals are sixth after losing a third successive game in all competitions but prior to this latest defeat they were unbeaten in 10 league games, finding some of the consistency that has eluded manager, Kelly Chambers, in recent campaigns. Before this fixture Jonas Eidevall had praised their season to date. “Apart from their last two games, Reading have been in amazing form, they have had amazing results,” he said. Before kick-off there was a pause as the captains, Kim Little of Arsenal and Reading’s Natasta Dowie held up a Ukraine flag in a show of solidarity with the invaded country, while Arsenal wore strips of blue and yellow tape side by side to form the flag on their wrists. It took 22 minutes for a partnership between the Arsenal forwards Stina Blackstenius and Vivianne Miedema, with the latter playing deeper, to bear fruit. Miedema passed back to Blackstenius inside the box and the interception of the Swede’s return ball fell kindly for Miedema who fired into the far corner past goalkeeper Rhiannon Stewart. Two minutes later and the Gunners had doubled their lead. Caitlin Foord found Blackstenius and the striker’s shot was cleared off the line but Katie McCabe fired in the follow up. The third came 10 minutes later when Steph Catley’s corner was powered in by the head of centre-back Leah Williamson. In the second half Miedema and Blackstenius combined again for the fourth, with the former racing through on the right before squaring to her strike partner who fired in to seal the win. With a close to fully fit squad, that was boosted in the January transfer window, Arsenal have started to find the rhythm that gave them a blistering start to the season. They have to win every game and hope that Chelsea, who now have two games in hand, drop points if they are to reclaim the title they last won in 2019. The pressure is now on Emma Hayes’s side though to close that gap and edge ahead the team that has led from the front all season.