There were outstanding performances from all three England forwards on Sunday as Renee Slegers’ side won a fifth WSL game in a rowSunday was all about Arsenal’s Lionesses as Beth Mead, Alessia Russo and Chloe Kelly starred in a front line that secured the Gunners a 4-0 win at Crystal Palace, moving them back into second place in the Women’s Super League table with just four games to go. Manchester United had leapfrogged the north London side earlier in the day by beating Everton in the early kick-off, but it took just a couple of hours for Arsenal to rise back above them and maintain their seven-point cushion inside the Champions League places, with them also ready to pounce should pace-setters Chelsea slip-up in the run-in.Bottom side Palace boosted their survival hopes earlier this month with a 3-1 win over Aston Villa and the spring that, plus the appointment of Leif Gunnar Smerud, has put in their step was evident in the early stages of a game that was quite even. However, once Kelly and Mead had combined brilliantly to put Arsenal ahead, it was difficult to see anything but an away win. The former’s cross was volleyed in wonderfully for the latter’s 50th WSL goal and from there the Gunners never looked back. Just over 10 minutes later, it was two, with Mariona Caldentey able to pick the pocket of My Cato in the Palace half to allow Russo to continue a wonderful week, this her third goal of it after her heroics against Real Madrid on Wednesday night.Palace generally did well to stay in the game, albeit without creating many chances and while thanking goalkeeper Shae Yanez for some big saves. Caldentey and Russo were both denied by the American, with Kelly and Frida Maanum missing the target from other opportunities, before the third goal of the day finally came in the closing stages. Kelly was the instigator, darting inside from the left, and Allyson Swaby was the unlucky Palace defender who inadvertently prodded the ball into the back of her own net to put the result well and truly beyond doubt. There was still time for a fourth, though, as Mead’s cross-cum-shot beat Yanez in stoppage time to complete a great day out for the Gunners – and especially their England stars.GOAL rates Arsenal’s players from Gander Green Lane…
