Arsenal ended a difficult week on a positive note as they beat WSL bottom side Leicester 4-0 at the LV Bet Stadium.
Jonas Eidevall's side lost the delayed 2020/21 FA Cup final 3-0 to Chelsea last Sunday and followed that up with a 4-0 thumping at the hands of Barcelona in the Champions League four days later.
But they looked threatening from the outset in Hertfordshire and edged in front when Vivianne Miedema teed up Jordan Nobbs, with the former hitting one of her own to double the lead 12 minutes later.
Dutch international Miedema then fired wide twice, before being thwarted at point-blank range by Foxes goalkeeper Demi Lambourne, but it was her replacement who helped to make sure of a convincing victory.
Frida Maanum - a summer recruit from Swedish outfit Linkopings - helped herself to a double, heading in a Nobbs cross first, before doing the same with a delivery from Steph Catley.
Manchester City were made to work for a second successive WSL victory as they came from behind twice to beat a plucky Birmingham side 3-2 at St Andrew's.
Gareth Taylor's City could have been ahead inside five minutes, when Ellen White struck the post, and after Lauren Hemp and Caroline Weir had missed the target in a dominant opening period for the visitors, the Blues took the lead with 28 minutes on the clock, when Christie Murray swept home a penalty following a foul on Veatriki Sarri.
The visitors - who had thrashed Aston Villa 5-0 in their last outing on November 20 - responded in style when Georgia Stanway thumped in a superb equaliser from distance, but it was second-bottom Birmingham who then restored their lead as Louise Quinn found the net from inside the box.
Hemp then made it 2-2 at the break when she nodded in an inviting cross from Hayley Raso and while an organised Blues side held firm for the majority of the second half, they could not prevent White from slotting in after a cut-back from Khadija Shaw.
In the day's early kick-off, Manchester United recorded their first win in five games as they beat Brighton 2-0 at the People's Pension Stadium in Crawley.
Marc Skinner's visitors created the better chances throughout but were repeatedly kept at bay by authoritative defending from Victoria Williams and brave goalkeeping from Megan Walsh, who had batted away almost everything she had faced during the first half.
But on the stroke of half-time, she was beaten when Ella Toone collected a short corner and hit a shot from the edge of the box that was helped over the line by Hayley Ladd.
United then killed off the game with just over 20 minutes to play when Alessia Russo went on a rampaging run down the right flank and crossed for Vilde Boe Risa, who converted from close range.
Later in the day, Tottenham came from behind to beat Aston Villa 2-1 and move up to third as a result.
Midfielder Remi Allen's deft finish from Alisha Lehmann's wicked cross put Villa ahead, but Spurs soon found a way back when Kyah Simon converted a penalty after Ria Percival had been upended in the area.
And Rachel Williams completed the comeback midway through the second half when she controlled a pass with her left, shifted the ball onto her right and beat Hannah Hampton with a clinical low effort.
Meanwhile, Everton and West Ham played out an entertaining 1-1 draw at Walton Hall Park.
The Hammers took the lead when Zaneta Wyne tucked over the line after being located by Katerina Svitkova, but the hosts earned a share of the spoils when Toni Duggan fired in a half-volley with 14 minutes to play.