England midfielder Jordan Nobbs scored a hat-trick as Aston Villa handed Albion a heavy defeat at the Broadfield Stadium.
In their first WSL match at home since November, Julia Zigiotti’s second-minute header gave Albion the perfect start.
But by half-time they trailed 5-1 to goals from Nobbs (2), Lucy Staniforth, Kirsty Hanson and Rachel Daly.
Danielle Carter scored her fifth of the season from the penalty spot to reduce the arrears early in the second half, but Nobbs completed her hat-trick with a great strike from distance.
To make matters worse, Leicester cut the gap at the bottom of the table to two points after beating Liverpool 1-0.
Yet it all started so well. In the second minute Zigiotti held her run and when Vea Sarri’s corner found her unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box she guided a header into the bottom corner.
Geummin Lee broke into the box but fired disappointingly wide before things started to go awry.
Villa levelled from a corner of their own on 15 minutes when Staniforth met Kenza Dali’s delivery with a powerful header into the top corner which gave debutant Lydia Williams no chance. The visitors struck again two minutes later when Dali picked out Hanson at the far post with a great cross and she made no mistake from close range.
Villa made it three goals in eight minutes when they broke quickly again and Hanson pulled the ball back from the left into the path of Nobbs, who smashed it into the top corner from 15 yards.
Albion fans couldn’t quite believe what had happened but the team responded and Villa keeper Hannah Hampton fingertipped Emma Kullberg’s shot over before the Swede couldn’t quite force the ball over the line after Jorja Fox’s diagonal ball opened up Villa’s defence.
But it was 4-1 on 36 minutes following a controversial goal when Daly swept in Hanson’s left-wing cross as Albion appealed in vain for the offside flag.
And it got worse. Nobbs made another unchecked run from midfield and had time and space to slide the ball past Williams for the fifth goal a minute before the break.
Jens Scheuer brought on Kayleigh Green and Danielle Carter at the break and with her first touch Carter got a goal back in the 48th minute when she converted a penalty awarded after Lee had been bundled over in the box by Anna Patten.
Albion probed for another goal to get back into the game but they were floored by a brilliant strike from Nobbs, who completed her hat-trick in the 68th minute when she made it 6-2 with a shot that flew past Williams into the top right-hand corner.
The home side kept going but it was a tough afternoon and there is plenty of work to do after the international break to climb away from the relegation zone.
Albion: Williams, Bergsvand, Morse, Stott (Visalli 74), Fox (Pattinson 70), Zigiotti, Connolly, Robinson (Green 45), Sarri (Carter 45), Lee.
Subs not used: Walsh, Visalli, Bance, Yeeun Park, Williams, Jarvis.
Attendance: 2,593