Jill Roord was described as a “special talent” by Joe Montemurro, her manager, after she continued to rise to her own pre-season challenge of finding the net consistently by scoring her second hat-trick in two games, as
Arsenal swept aside a broken West Ham following the dismissal of their captain, Gilly Flaherty.
The embarrassing scoreline was perhaps another indication of a growing gap in quality in the WSL, though Arsenal – who competed in the
Champions League in August – have had a head start. It was, however, another statement result for Arsenal after their 6-1 defeat of Reading on the opening weekend, and one that may quieten those who have been quick to rule them out of title contention.