Chelsea went top of the Women’s Super League for the first time this season after thrashing second-bottom Leicester at King Power Stadium.
Chelsea became the first team to score three goals in the opening 10 minutes of a WSL match – with Guro Reiten, Sam Kerr and Beth England on target.
Aniek Nouwen struck before England, Reiten and Kerr all finished with two goals for the defending champions.
Substitutes Lauren James and Jessie Fleming then scored at the death.
Chelsea had the opportunity to replace Arsenal at the top of the table after the Gunners’ game with Tottenham on Saturday was postponed because of coronavirus cases among the Spurs squad.
Leicester boss Lydia Bedford, whose side also lost 7-0 to Chelsea in the fifth round of the Women’s FA Cup last month, therefore said before Sunday’s game that “the pressure is on” Chelsea.
But the visitors made a mockery of that, with Reiten curling in a third-minute free-kick before Kerr raced on to Millie Bright’s through-ball and turned in the rebound after her first shot was saved.
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On seven minutes, England flicked on a throw for Kerr before racing forward to get onto the return ball and fire into the top corner.
Nouwen turned in England’s volley for Chelsea’s fourth on 11 minutes before Reiten dinked a cross towards the far post for England to score with a 28th-minute header.
A similar ball by Norway midfielder Reiten then floated inside the far post in first-half stoppage time to make it 6-0 at half-time, and just two minutes after the restart, Australia forward Kerr headed in from England’s chip.
James came off the bench to score her first goal for the club from Niamh Charles’ late cross, before Fleming capped a fine flowing move to make the final score 9-0.
Chelsea are now unbeaten in eight in the league, winning their last five in all competitions, and are a point clear of Arsenal with five games left.
The margin of Sunday’s victory also means Chelsea now have a better goal difference than Arsenal, who they also face in the Women’s FA Cup semi-finals on 17 April.