Albion went down 4-0 to champions and leaders Arsenal in FA WSL.

Hope Powell's team worked hard and had a bright spell late in the first half.

But Arsenal’s class told - and they had the advantage of an early goal.

Danielle van de Donk, wide on the Gunners left, ran on to a long diagonal, got in behind the defence and carried the ball all the way to the six-yard box, from where she beat Megan Walsh in only the fourth minute.

Jill Roord doubled the lead on 32 minutes with a good finish after finding a huge gap between the home centre-backs.

The hosts were at full stretch on other occasions against an attack led by the prolific Vivianne Miedema.

But there were a couple of moments to get an enthusiastic home support cheering as half-time neared.

Aileen Whelan’s work on the right was behind both of them.

First her super cross from the byline forced Manuela Zinsberger to flap the ball away from Kayleigh Green under the crossbar.

Then Whelan slid a clever pass through the defence into the path of Emily Simpkins, who shot wide of the near post.

Arsenal extended their lead on 52 minutes with a well worked goal.

Miedema stepped over a pass coming from the left and allowed it to run into the path of Jordan Nobbs, with the England star supplying a cool finish low past Walsh.

The Albion keeper had a good game until a late blunder, when she dropped a cross allowing Beth Mead to add the fourth.

Albion: Walsh; Barton, Kerkdijk, Williams, Gibbons; Bowman, Simpkins (Connolly 67), Le Garrec (Umotong 80), Nilden (Natkiel 46), Green, Whelan.

Attendance: 1,312.