Russo hat-trick sends Arsenal second with Champions League rout of Benfica

Alessia Russo scored a hat-trick to become the highest-ever English goalscorer in Women's Champions League history as Arsenal beat Benfica 3-0 in their league phase match, according to Sky Sports Football.

The result lifted Renée Slegers' side up to second in the league phase table, the Guardian's Sophie Downey reported from the Mangata Developments Stadium.

It arrived at the end of a mixed opening to the campaign for Arsenal, whose season has, in Downey's words, yet to fully burst into life amid struggles in front of goal, unforced errors and lackadaisical performances through the opening two months.

Saturday's north London derby win over Tottenham was described by the Guardian as a gritty display that could prove the springboard to kickstart Slegers' side into form, and the manager had urged her players to carry that intensity into the Benfica fixture.

"The foundation for us in the win was the intensity that we brought to the game, us as a collective attacking and defending together, the fight, the grittiness, the resilience, because also they scored the first goal in the game and we have to come back from it," Slegers said, as relayed by Yahoo Sports.

"So those things are important for us, and we definitely want to bring that to tomorrow night's game as well," she added.

Slegers had also confirmed changes to her available squad before the Champions League tie, with Kim Little returning to contention after a period out of the group.

Katie Reid and Michelle Agyemang remained unavailable for the European fixture, as did Frida Maanum.

"They're not back yet, and it's the same as for the last game," Slegers said of the trio. "Frida's progressing well too, but tomorrow will come too soon. Kim Little is back in the squad."

On Reid specifically, who is working her way back from a long-term injury, Slegers said: "She's, of course, coming back from a long-term injury. So hopefully everything's okay and we'll do some assessment."

Russo's treble against Benfica extended her standing as the competition's leading English scorer, underlining the forward's growing importance to Arsenal's European campaign this season.

The win over Benfica, following on from the derby victory against Tottenham, gives Slegers two consecutive results built on the collective intensity she had been pushing her squad to reproduce.