Chelsea kept up their pursuit of a sixth consecutive Women’s Super League title with a 5-0 rout of West Ham.

Sonia Bompastor had seen her perfect run in the league come to an end before the winter break but Chelsea returned emphatically to winning ways by effectively finishing off the home side before half-time, with Catarina Macario getting the ball rolling with a brilliant volley early on.

It was the first in a trio of excellent finishes from the champions, with Erin Cuthbert next to step up when she rifled in a second, then Aggie Beever-Jones smacked one in off the post to round off the first period.

Sandy Baltimore dug out another brilliant strike to make it four before defender Amber Tysiak slid Cuthbert’s cross into her own net late on.

Chelsea had gone ahead after 11 minutes and it was a glorious strike by Macario. Sjoeke Nusken teed her up with a neat flick near the edge of the box and Macario put the full force of her left foot through the dropping ball to fire over goalkeeper Kinga Szemik and into the far corner.

It ought to have been 2-0 moments later when Macario was left free six yards out. Beever-Jones picked her out after a fine run and cross, but the striker leaned back and ballooned her effort against the roof of the main stand behind the goal.

West Ham were guilty of careless play to gift Chelsea their second. Nathalie Bjorn intercepted a poor ball out from the back by Szemik and played a ball forward down the right for Cuthbert who, with support in the middle, opted to go alone, angling the ball across goal and into the bottom corner.

Beever-Jones was denied by a fabulous headed clearance off the line by Anouk Denton, the defender’s quick thinking and wily positioning saving her side from being three down and effectively out of it before the break.

Seraina Piubel spurned a golden chance to haul the home side back into the match in the final moments of the first half, going clean through after Denton had threaded a pass which split Chelsea’s defence but dragged her effort wide of Hannah Hampton’s far post.

It was a miss she would quickly rue. Within minutes, Chelsea were three up and it was a fabulous finish by Beever-Jones, sending a volley whizzing over the head of Szemik whom for the second time in the was given no chance, the ball going in via a post in the process.

The visitors showed no sign of easing off and seven minutes after the restart they extended their lead.

This time it was Baltimore, after Niamh Charles had intercepted another poor ball out from the back, proffering her own contender for goal of the match with another exceptional hit into the top corner.

Tysiak turned Cuthbert’s cross into her own net five minutes from time, leaving West Ham just three points off the foot of the WSL table.