Arsenal secured their 11th consecutive victory in all competitions with a confident 5-2 win over Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening. Alessia Russo scored a 22-minute hat-trick to put her side in firm control at the break while Caitlin Foord and Stina Blackstenius added more in the second half.

It was a devastating first-half performance from Russo who has enjoyed an eye-catching week in front of goal. Her three in the latest edition of the north London derby took her tally to five in the last eight days, a week that has seen Arsenal win all three matches they have been involved in.

Alessia Russo

Nice to get a win, it’s a big game for us. I love to score goals and to [score her first Arsenal hat-trick] here in a north London derby is really nice. All three goals came from things we work on a lot in training.

[On switching between No9 and No10] It’s something I struggled with a bit at first. Now I understand the details of the No10 a bit more, especially out of possession which is really important. On the ball I like both because they offer different parts of my game. I’ll play anywhere, I don’t care!

Kim Little

[On her emotions before the game] I was told I was getting some surprises. I hadn’t overthought it. And then when my nieces and nephews were standing there and I saw the banner in the crowd… yeah, I’ve never had a moment like that, and I never will again. I’m so proud to represent this club and I want to thank them for making it so special for me.

90+1 min Six minutes of added time. Van Domselaar is booked for timewasting.

90 min The indefatigable Gaupset gallops 60 yards to the edge of the area before rifling just wide. She’s been outstanding.

88 min Van Domselaar is quickly off her line to dive bravely at the feet of Signe Gaupset. Still only 20, Gaupset is going to be an outstanding player.

87 min: Arsenal substitution Kim Little receives a standing ovation as she is replaced by Laia Codina.

86 min: Double substitution for Tottenham Olga Ahtinen and Lenna Gunning-Williams replace Drew Spence and Hanna Wijk.

83 min Tonight’s attendance is 46,123.

82 min A ball into the box is headed down by England to Gaupset, whose touch-and-hit is blocked. I think it was off target anyway. But this is Spurs’ best spell of the match by a distance.

81 min A couple of corners in quick succession for Spurs, who have a spring in their step for the first time all night.

England has only been on the field for six minutes but she’s had three efforts on target and now she’s scored. Vinberg controlled the ball neatly and touched it off to England, who smashed a shot from a tight angle that went the hands of a startled Van Domselaar. The keeper probably should have done better but it was hit with feeling by England.

75 min McCabe clips the free-kick over the wall and the leaping Kop touches it onto the crossbar and over. Good save.

74 min Pelova is fouled just outside the area by Nilden, who is on a yellow card and needs to be careful.

73 min The resulting corner leads to another from England, and a more comfortable save by Van Domselaar.

72 min: Double substitution for Spurs Bethany England, making her 200th WSL appearance, and Eveliina Summanen replace Maiko Hamano and Cathinka Tandberg.

71 min Arsenal are letting Spurs have the ball in the middle third, then countering furiously when they win it. It’s been a textbook gameplan.

68 min: Arsenal substitution Victoria Pelova replaces Mariona Caldentey, who is given a rest with Stamford Bridge in mind.

66 min This game is done. Spurs want to get out of town asap.

Caitlin Foord has scored her first WSL goal since September. Mead found Holmberg on the right with a terrific volleyed flick. She whipped a cross beyond the far post, where Foord – who I think saw the ball late – miscontrolled it slightly away from goal. But she reacted superbly to retrieve the ball and batter a shot on the turn past Kop. Cracking finish.

61 min: Spurs substitution Julie Blakstad replaces Olivia Holdt.

60 min The second half has been a bit of a non-event so far. Arsenal are comfortable and playing in second gear.

57 min: Double substitution for Arsenal Stina Blackstenius and Beth Mead replace Chloe Kelly, who had a quiet game, and Alessia Russo, who did not. She was magnificent.

54 min Little is too unselfish for her own good when she has a chance to shoot, albeit from an awkward angle, and instead tries to find the overlapping Foord. Little overhits the pass and Foord can’t keep it in.

52 min Tandberg runs onto a pass from Wijk and tries a shot on the turn that deflects behind for a corner. Nothing comes of it but Spurs have been a bit more threatening at the start of the second half.

47 min Wijk’s low cross is poked well wide of the near post by Tandberg. She was under pressure from Wubben-Moy and it was no sort of chance.

46 min Arsenal begin the second half.

Half-time substitution Arsenal are bringing on Caitlin Foord for Olivia Smith.

Half-time reading

This is a nice piece on an emerging force in French football.

45+2 min Russo’s 46th shot of the night deflects off Bartrip and through to Kop.

45 min Four minutes of added time.

41 min Arsenal have had 10 attempts at goal, four on target. Spurs, despite some pleasant and purposeful passing, have had none.

40 min An imaginative through pass from Gaupset towards Hamano is crucially cut out on the edge of the area. Gaupset looks a fine player.

38 min Boos from the referees in the crowd when Olivia Smith is booked for a foul on Holdt. Seconds later, Nilden is also booked for a foul on Smith.

34 min Russo runs onto a deft header from Maanum and thumps a shot that is deflected over by the stretching Toga. Good defending.

32 min Spurs are suffering the first-half blues for the second Saturday in a row. They were 5-1 down at half-time against Manchester City before eventually losing 5-2.

29 min “Sometimes watching football can be pure pleasure,” writes Charles Antaki. “Alessio Russo is responsible for many of those sometimes.”

Ridiculous player, and at 27 she has scope to get even better.

Bartrip played the ball back to Kop, who tried to slide a first-time pass to Koga on the edge of the D. Instead she screwed it straight to Russo, who accepted the gift with the minimum of fuss.

19 min Spurs almost strike back when Gaupset, on the left, curls a beautiful ball that flashes right across the face of goal.

16 min Russo gets behind the defence again, but this time her touch is slightly off and Koga is able to make an important tackle.

No matter: she has a chance for the hat-trick seconds later when Maanum picks her out, eight yards from goal, and Russo drives a low shot that is saved to her right by the sprawling Kop.

13 min Bartrip fouls Russo 30 yards from goal and is a bit fortunate to escape a yellow card. Russo has been unplayable so far.

11 min Spurs have actually passed the ball quite nicely at the start of this game. The problem is when they lose it; Arsenal are full of menace in transtion.

Alessia Russo is rampant! Smith slipped a nice pass down the side to put her on goal in the inside-right channel; she still had a bit to do but she walked calmly past Kop and reversed a finish that wrongfooted the covering Spurs defenders and rolled into the far corner. That’s such a smooth, classy finish.

4 min Another shot from Russo hits Bartrip; this time it spins behind for the first corner. From which…

2 min Russo wins the ball high up the field and hits a stinging shot from 22 yards that is blocked by Bartrip.

1 min Peep peep! Spurs kick off from right to left as we watch.

The players walk onto the field on a crisp evening in north London. Looks like a really good crowd. The Arsenal captain Kim Little, who signed a new one-year deal with the club yesterday, looks particularly emotional as she lines up before the match.

Arsenal come into this game in spectacular form: they’ve won their last eight games in all competitions, including two victories over Chelsea and another against Manchester City.

Spurs’ form has been more topsy-turvy. They won 7-3 at Villa in mid-February, beat London City Lionesses in an epic FA Cup penalty shootout but then lost to Everton and City.

Derby weekend has arrived in the Women’s Super League and WSL2. Not one, not two, but six local rivalries will be reignited as the divisions try to capitalise on the men’s international break.

Is it clever to schedule so many of these clashes on the same weekend though, and especially staging three top-flight ones on the same afternoon? Everton host Liverpool, Manchester United welcome Manchester City and Arsenal entertain Tottenham on Saturday, all within the space of six hours. The answer will probably lie in the attendances.

Manchester City need five points to clinch the title after hammering Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford.