JORDAN NOBBS's stunning goal helped guide Arsenal to a 4-0 win over her former club Sunderland.

Arsenal's sixth league win of the season took them to 20 points and within striking distance of the FAWSL 1 summit.

Sunderland started brightly at the Hetton Centre but it was the Gunners who took a tenth-minute lead.

It was Nobbs who stole the show as she thundered in Arsenal’s second goal of the afternoon, but she was adamant her team-mate Danielle Carter deserved equal credit.

"It was probably one of my best goals of the season but also for the team, the passing and movement, and it wouldn't have come off but for Dan's play,” she said.

"I'm glad to have got a goal but I was proud of the girls today for the way we played.

"Every game counts for us and we're creeping around the back door.

"We need the other teams to drop points but at the moment, we're putting in great team performances.

"We need to finish on a high so we must keep winning and score a lot of goals and continue not conceding."

Carter got the better of Tori Williams in the home area, the Sunderland defender bringing her down, with referee John Matthews awarding a penalty.

England midfielder Nobbs saw her spot-kick beaten out by Rachael Laws but Vicky Losada followed up to bury the rebound high into the net.

Nobbs was not to be denied, combining superbly with Danielle van de Donk before beating Laws with a delightful finish off the outside of her right foot.

Sunderland youngster Madelaine Hill went inches wide but Arsenal continued to have better chances with Nobbs hitting the post and Casey Stoney shooting over.

Carter put the result beyond doubt early in the second-half as she finished emphatically into Laws’ top-left corner from Dominique Janssen's cross and Fara Williams buried a 53rd minute penalty after Danielle Brown caught van de Donk.

Nobbs almost brought the curtain down on a virtuoso display with a last minute volley, which just cleared the bar.

Williams’ goal was the 16th that Arsenal have scored against Sunderland across the league and SSE FA Women’s FA Cup this year and Sunderland’s Hayley Sharp had nothing but praise for the Gunners, urging her side to regroup ahead of their clash with Manchester City next weekend.

"Arsenal are an excellent team, they have some great players and a lot of internationals,” she said.

"They are probably the best footballing team in the league and it's good to have finished with them for this season.

"We've now got to pick ourselves up and go again. We've just got to stay positive, we have Man City next week and then we have a bit of a break when we can get on the training ground and work on things ahead of the crucial games we have at the end of the season."

Sunderland (5-3-2): Rachael Laws, Danielle Brown, Hayley Sharp, Steph Bannon, Victoria Williams, Abby Holmes; Lucy Staniforth (Kelly McDougall 86), Rachel Furness (Charlotte Potts 58), Madelaine Hill (Steph Roche 58); Brooke Chaplen, Beth Mead. Substitutes: Hilde Olsen, Megan Beer, Keira Ramshaw, Emma Kelly

Arsenal (4-3-3): Sari van Veenendaal; Alex Scott (Marta Corredera 68), Casey Stoney, Jemma Rose, Doninique Janssen; Jordan Nobbs, Fara Williams (Emma Mitchell 61), Vicky Losada; Danielle van de Donk (Katie McCabe 73); Natalia Pablos Sanchon, Danielle Carter. Substitutes: Sian Rogers, Rianna Dean, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Asisat Oshoala

Referee: John Matthews

Attendance: 608

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