Manchester City moved level on points with rivals Manchester United in the race to reach the Women's Champions League with victory over West Ham.
Gareth Taylor's side bristled with confidence after seven straight wins in all competitions, and Georgia Stanway swept them ahead inside eight minutes.
Khadija Shaw sealed another City win with a simple second-half header.
With four WSL games left, only goal difference keeps them in fourth, behind United and the Champions League spots.
"West Ham are a team who have only lost twice at home all season so it lays down a marker," Taylor said as he reflected on his 50th victory in charge of City.
"We had flying machines at the top of the pitch and at times, we used that. We had good energy and it was a really important win for us."
A City victory looked a formality in the first quarter as they dominated the opening exchanges.
Hayley Raso rounded Arnold inside two minutes but got closed out, and Shaw really should have scored when she was slid through seconds later but Mackenzie Arnold smothered brilliantly.
Stanway has a fine record of seven goals in nine appearances against West Ham, and her coolly-taken finish gave City the lead their play deserved.
The Hammers, though, can be stubborn opponents under coach Olli Harder - they beat City in the reverse fixture - and they dug in, albeit benefiting from some City wastefulness and an excellent display from goalkeeper Arnold.
They briefly threatened, with Claudia Walker heading over and then denying her own team a golden opportunity by touching the ball when offside instead of leaving it to team-mate Adriana Leon to run through on goal.
For City, Shaw finally made it comfortable in the second half with the easiest of headers from Caroline Weir's corner, and it is now more than eight hours since they last conceded.
These two sides face each other again in their next fixture, contesting one of the FA Women's Cup semi-finals on Saturday, 16 April, with the match live on BBC One (12:30, BST).
