Arsenal 3 Aston Villa 0: Maanum scores brace as Gunners set up Conti Cup semi-final game against Manchester City

FRIDA MAANUM’s red-hot goalscoring show shows no sign of slowing down as she helped propel Arsenal into the Conti Cup semi-finals.

The midfielder was a threat as he bagged a brace as Aston Villa were defeated 3-0 while the Gunners were chasing a sixth League Cup win.

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And Maanum increased their goal tally to 10 goals in 14 games in all competitions this season.

Their stunning results in both halves were the icing on the cake of a clinical Arsenal performance that saw Carla Ward’s side weather a challenging night on the road.

The clash at Meadow Park was given the green light after an afternoon pitch inspection following five game postponements in the top two women’s divisions last weekend.

The encounter saw Hannah Hampton back in goal for the guests.

And Jordan Nobbs started against her old club after joining Ward’s side in January.

Villa maintained their own pressure as Hanson fired a shot high over the bar in the 12th minute before their hosts broke the deadlock 17 minutes later.

The opener came when Maanum dribbled into the box and fired home a left-footed shot.

Villa immediately attempted to hit back, with Hanson holding back her marker to fly off the edge of the box and force a save from Gunners goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo

And Kenza Dali shot high over the bar in the 35th minute before Kim Little’s wild shot just before half-time led to a stunning save from Hampton.

In the 50th minute, the hosts doubled their lead after a failed Villa throw-in.

And Foord used the ball possession gained to improve Maanum’s top corner finish.

The Aussie striker joined the scoring charts with the Norwegian ace, with Foord scoring Arsenal’s third goal with half an hour remaining.

Kathrine Kuhl and Victoria Pelova made their Gunners debuts, with the duo entering the fight in place of Leah Williamson and Stina Blackstenius.

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And Pelova would have made a dream debut after a clean exchange with Kuhl just before a quick intervention from Hampton.

The hosts watched the game and booked their semi-final place ahead of an FA Cup fourth round clash with fourth-tier Leeds Ladies on Sunday.

The Gunners have a Conti Cup semi-final clash with last season’s winners Manchester City and West Ham meet Chelsea.