Putellas and Diani fire London City Lionesses to 6-1 rout of Tottenham and into the top three

London City make their statement

London City Lionesses showed their Champions League qualification credentials with a 6-1 rout of Tottenham, a result that moved them above their opponents into third place in the Women's Super League table and brought an abrupt end to Spurs' unbeaten start to the season.

They were at their fluid and clinical best against a team many believe will rival them as challengers to the traditional top three. The numbers told the story: 47.6% of London City's shots found the target, compared with just 11% from Tottenham.

Superstar summer signings Alexia Putellas and Kadidiatou Diani both scored twice, but the most impressive aspect was the muscle the squad showed. Their physical presence, combined with an aggressive press, made the home team look pedestrian and lightweight despite an unbeaten start to the campaign.

With so many summer changes it can take time for players to gel, and that physical presence can be the difference when things are not clicking. When things are clicking, though, it appears anything is possible.

The victory lifts London City on to 12 points from five games — one behind second-placed Chelsea and three behind leaders Manchester City — with Tottenham dropping to fourth on 10.