Manchester City put in a five-star performance to defeat Brighton at the Academy Stadium as goals from Steph Houghton, Ellen White, Lauren Hemp, Georgia Stanway and Pauline Bremer secured a comfortable 5-0 victory for the hosts, writes Jack Flintham.

Brighton got off to the worst possible start just two minutes in.

Victoria Williams gave the ball away to Stanway, who laid the ball off to Janine Beckie.

Her shot was saved but the ball was then passed back to keeper Sophie Harris who picked it up and gave away an indirect free kick.

From the resulting set piece Steph Houghton smashed the ball home to give City the lead.

They doubled their advantage 10 minutes later as Beckie whipped a ball in from the right and on the slide, Ellen White fired the ball home.

City had their third in the 37th minute when a corner was nodded back across goal by Houghton and flicked in by Hemp.

Brighton had a goal ruled out just before the hour mark as Ini Umotong was adjudged to have fouled City keeper Ellie Roebuck whilst challenging for the ball in the air.

The visitors were beginning to find their way in the game and Lea Le Garrac was unfortunate to see her half volley saved by Roebuck.

But Stanway grabbed a deserved goal in the 78th minute when she rounded Harris and slotted home.

Substitute Bremer compounded Brighton’s misery as she looped in Beckie’s cross eight minutes later.

Manchester City’s Lauren Hemp said: "I was really proud of the performance; we pushed for the result off the back of the defeat last week. We were really looking to push on and that has been proved through the goals and the performance today.

"We needed to react off the performance at Chelsea. We wanted a better result last week but this week in training we have just pushed as a group and individually to try and get the result today.

"This is definitely the best place to be at. I am obviously still improving, developing and I think being here the coaches and players around me will help improve my game.

"I am loving the football I am playing and I'm enjoying it each week hopefully I can carry that on for the rest of this season."

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