Aston Villa Women were beaten 4-1 by Arsenal at Villa Park on Sunday.
The Gunners roared back following Kirsty Hanson’s early opener and recorded an ultimately comfortable victory.
A Rachel Corsie own goal got the visitors back on level terms, before Vivianne Miedema, Katie McCabe and Jordan Nobbs added further goals.
Villa end the calendar year having suffered back-to-back league defeats but will feel positive about their start to the 2022/23 season.
Carla Ward made two changes from the side that were defeated by Manchester United in the league last weekend.
Olivia McLoughlin started in place of the ineligible Anna Patten, with Rachel Corsie dropping into defence.
Meanwhile, Kirsty Hanson came in for Frey Gregory who sustained an ankle injury in midweek.
It was Hanson who added to the goal she scored against Sheffield United with a stupendous strike inside the opening 10 minutes.
Kenza Dali fed the Scotland international on the left-hand side, and Hanson unleashed a rasping drive from the edge of the box which found the bottom corner.
Arsenal were stunned, Villa jubilant.
The game ebbed and flowed from that point onwards, but Arsenal did get back on level terms on 26 minutes.
Katie McCabe beared down on goal from the right-hand side before cutting the ball back in search of a teammate.
A teammate wasn’t found, but the ball cruelly diverted off Rachel Corsie and into the back of the net.
Just four minutes later, Arsenal took the lead through Vivianne Miedema.
The Dutch international found the net with aplomb after the ball dropped to her from a corner.
The Gunners were firmly in the ascendency and almost doubled their advantage when Stina Blackstenius found the target with a header, however Hannah Hampton held on.
Villa went into half-time a goal behind but searched for a leveller the other side of the interval.
Alisha Lehmann, without a goal since opening day, tested Manuela Zinsberger before Kenza Dali also had a shot on target.
Arsenal were quick to retaliate and went a long way to putting the game to bed when Katie McCabe tapped home from a few yards out.
Jordan Nobbs added to the scoreline in the 84th minute, finishing calmly past Hampton from inside the area.
Villa will rest and recover before returning to play against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, January 14th (ko 12.30pm).
A Villa Women: Hampton, Turner, Corsie, Mayling, Pacheco, McLoughlin (Gielnik 66'), Blindkilde, Dali, Hanson, Daly, Lehmann (Goodwin 86')
Subs: Gielnik, Keitley, Leat, Goodwin
Arsenal Women: Zinsberger, Rafaelle (Williamson 60'), Maritz (Wienroither 71'), Catley, Wubben-Moy, McCabe, Foord (Iwabuchi 86'), Miedema (Nobbs 72'), Maanum, Wälti, Blackstenius
Subs: Wienroither, Nobbs, Beattie, Agyemang, Iwabuchi, Williamson, Marckese
