MANCHESTER, England: Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw scored a hat-trick, including a first-minute goal, in a 4-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur that gave the hosts a tentative four-point lead at the top of the table. the Women’s Super League. Friday.

City have 19 points from seven games ahead of second-placed Chelsea, who are on 15 points but with two games in hand before traveling to sixth-placed Liverpool on Sunday.

Shaw scored 23 seconds after kick-off at the Etihad Stadium when she pounced on an error from centre-back Clare Hunt.

“We really enjoyed that one,” Shaw told Sky Sports. “We talked as a team about our desire to come here and be at the front. We said we didn’t really score early in the game, so we’re going to put pressure on it, and it worked.”

The Jamaican continued to cause nightmares for Hunt, scoring her second goal in the 15th when she nodded home a precise cross from Lauren Hemp, the first of three assists for Hemp.

Jill Roord scored for the third consecutive WSL match to give City a three-goal lead in the 66th minute with a searing left-footed shot before Shaw completed her hat-trick a minute later, tapping in the low cross from Hemp from the far post.

“With the players I have around me, I know I will receive crosses and by making the right movement into the box they will find me,” Shaw said. “It’s something I pride myself on, especially when I’m in the box and the ball is out, I know I have to be ready for crosses.”

Shaw, who has three hat-tricks against Spurs, increased his lead at the top of the WSL scoring charts this season by scoring seven goals, and his six career hat-tricks also lead the WSL.

“I feel like I always know where Bunny (Shaw) is going to be, I know where she’s going to run, especially for that third goal, I just thought I’d put it in space and obviously Bunny was there to finish it ,” said Hemp.

Hemp had a couple of terrific chances herself, forcing goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer to make a diving save on a shot, then firing another one shortly after that ricocheted off both posts and went out. Hemp buried his head in his hands in disbelief.

“I was absolutely devastated,” the England striker said.

The defeat leaves Spurs in seventh place with seven points.

Arsenal moved up to fourth place with a 5-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, who remain third on 13 points, one point ahead of the Gunners. Manchester United, who have two games in hand, can finish third with a home win against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Beth Mead, Caitlin Foord, Frida Maanum, Lina Hurtig and Alessia Russo, with a penalty, secured Arsenal’s third victory.

Brighton had conceded just four goals in their opening six games this season before Friday’s nightmare at the Emirates.