By Tony Leighton

Sanderson scored the first goal after just two minutes

England Under-21 striker Lianne Sanderson hit five as Arsenal hammered Fulham 14-0 on the second Sunday of the Women's Premier League season.

With the fixture programme reduced to only two matches due to international calls, the Gunners' massive victory shot them to the top of the table.

Everton moved up to second place after beating Birmingham City 2-1.

Midfielder Emily Westwood hit the winner for the home side with just 16 minutes to go.

Nationwide Women's Premier League
Arsenal 14-0 Fulham

While Sanderson plundered a nap-hand, Kelly Smith and Katie Chapman helped themselves to hat-tricks as the Gunners humiliated their once deadly rivals.

As full-time professionals during 2000-2003, Fulham regularly handed out double-figure beatings and took over Arsenal's mantle as the country's top women's team.

But first their Premiership parent club cut their status to semi-professionalism.

Then, in May, they were dropped entirely from the Craven Cottage set-up and since then they have lost practically all of their first team players to other clubs.

They are now paying the price in League results, Sunday's disastrous scoreline following a 5-0 home defeat by Chelsea in their first match of the new season.

Sanderson set the goal-fest in motion with the opener after just two minutes, following which the ball hit the back of the Fulham net at regular intervals.

In addition to the 11 goals variously scored by Sanderson, Smith and Chapman, England winger Karen Carney - signed from Birmingham in the close season - bagged a brace with her first goals for the club and midfielder Anita Asante completed the scoresheet.

Everton 2-1 Birmingham City

The Toffees followed up their opening day 2-1 success at Charlton Athletic with another hard fought victory.

Birmingham pushed them all the way but had only themselves to blame for each of the home side's goals.

Goalkeeper Sue Wood was at fault when midfielder Jill Scott, a summer signing from Sunderland, made it two goals in two games with a close range 22nd minute header.

The visitors fought back well and equalised through former Everton striker Amy McCann, who switched clubs during the close season.

McCann headed home a 64th-minute Katy Ward cross following an excellent long-range pass by midfielder Heather Scheuber.

But Everton snatched victory 16 minutes from time, when Westwood beat the offside trap to squeeze the ball home from a tight angle.