Matildas defender Clare Hunt had a night to forget at the City of Manchester Stadium as Tottenham Hotspur were thrashed 4-0 by Manchester City in the Women's Super League.

Khadija Shaw pounced on an error by Hunt inside the first minute to score the first goal of a hat-trick as City moved a provisional four points clear at the top of the ladder.

City have 19 points from seven games ahead of second-placed Chelsea, who are on 15 points but with two matches in hand before they visit sixth-placed Liverpool on Sunday.

It took just 23 seconds after kick-off for Shaw to make her mark.

"We really enjoyed that one," Shaw told Sky Sports. 

"We spoke as a team about wanting to come out here and be on the front foot. We said we hadn't really scored early in a game, so we're going to go and press, and it worked out."

The Jamaican continued to cause nightmares for Hunt, getting her second goal in the 15th when she nodded home Lauren Hemp's pinpoint cross, the first of three assists for Hemp.

Jill Roord scored for the third successive WSL game to give City a three-goal lead in the 66th minute with a blistering left-foot shot before Shaw completed her hat-trick a minute later, tapping in Hemp's low cross from the far post.

"With the players I have around me, I know I'm going to get crosses, and just making the right movement in the box they'll find me," Shaw said. 

"It's something I pride myself in, especially being in the box and the ball being out wide, I know I have to be ready for the crosses."

Shaw, who has three trebles against Spurs, stretched her lead atop this season's WSL scoring charts as she moved onto seven goals, and her six career hat-tricks also lead the WSL.

"I feel like I always know where Bunny [Shaw] is going to be, I know where she's going to run, especially for that third goal, I just thought I'd put it into space and obviously Bunny was there to finish it," Hemp said.

Hemp had a couple of terrific chances herself, forcing goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer to make a diving save from one shot, and then firing another soon after that ricocheted off both posts and out. Hemp buried her head in her hands in disbelief.

"I was absolutely devastated," the England forward said.

The defeat leaves Spurs in seventh spot on seven points.

There was better news for Caitlin Foord, who found the back of the net as Arsenal climbed to fourth with a 5-0 rout of visiting Brighton and Hove Albion.

Beth Mead, Foord, Frida Maanum, Lina Hurtig and Alessia Russo, with a penalty, secured Arsenal's third win.

The Seagulls remain third on 13 points, one point ahead of the Gunners. 

Brighton had only conceded four goals in their first six games this season before Friday's nightmare at the Emirates.

Reuters/ABC