Ellie Carpenter has offered up another all-action demonstration of why she's currently Australia's standout women's footballer with two brilliant goals in Chelsea's rampant 6-2 derby win over Tottenham in England's Super League.
More than just a full-back, increasingly the Matildas' star has developed into a more complete player all over the pitch this season for Chelsea, far more of an attacking weapon than she was in her debut campaign for the Blues in 2025-26.
Her two goals in Sunday's thrashing of Chelsea's local rivals came as the 26-year-old again cast off any hint of conservatism, roaring into the opposition box to fire off two excellent finishes.
Remarkably, the Chelsea No.2 had more touches in the Spurs area - eight - than any of the Blues' strikers and she now has three goals, all in the WSL, in 10 matches in all competitions this season, the same amount she notched up in all of her 29 appearances last season.
After Lauren James' opener for Chelsea half-way through the first half was answered by Matilda Vinberg's headed equaliser for Spurs just before the break, it was Carpenter who sparked a glorious nine-minute patch around the hour mark when Spurs were simply blown away.
The Aussie motored into the box to get on the end of Alyssa Thomson's probing 58th minute run and cut-back down the left flank, with her left foot finish giving back Chelsea the lead which they quickly increased through the brilliant James again and Sjoeke Nusken.
Maika Hamano added a virtuoso fifth and as the Stamford Bridge crowd bayed for six, Carpenter obliged, again popping up in the box to collect Keira Walsh's pass on her right foot before swivelling to pipe on the stoppage-time icing with a clinical left-foot finish.
The consummate display demonstrated again why Carpenter has just been voted PFA's Footballer of the Year, and the woman who was also selected as part of the WSL's team of the year last season looks in ever better form this term.
Unbeaten Chelsea's win left them on 16 points after six games, but they're still chasing champions Manchester City, who held off a spirited fightback from Brighton to eke out a 3-2 win and maintain their perfect start on 18 points.
City raced into a 3-0 lead after an early double from Khadjia Shaw and a first goal for summer signing Niamh Charles only for the Seagulls to hit back before the break with goals from Olivia Garcia and Caitlin Hayes..
City brought on Mary Fowler with half-an-hour left but she didn't make much of an impression in a sluggish second-half display from the champs.
Matildas striker Holly MacNamara, fresh from her goalscoring exploits on international duty, provided the cross for her Everton colleague Hannah Cain to nod a goal back in the 71st minute but it couldn't stop London City running out 2-1 winners with their first-half goals from Delphine Cascarino and Freya Godfrey.
That put the Lionesses, who were without the injured Alanna Kennedy, on 15 points in third place.
