The mental and physical break she received while skipping Matildas duty appears to have done Mary Fowler a power of good as she returned to action for Manchester City with a superb goal in their 4-0 trouncing over Leicester.
Another Australian international, Katrina Gorry, now the pride of West Ham, also enjoyed a big day in the English Women's Super League overnight, scoring in a player-of-the-match performance in the Hammers' 5-2 comeback London derby win over Crystal Palace.
Fowler had decided to pull out of the national squad for the recent internationals against Brazil and Chinese Taipei, explaining she needed "to take this time to prioritise recovery in order to refresh both mentally and physically, so that I can continue to put my best self forward for both club and country".
The 21-year-old, who had faced a tough schedule with City, did travel to Australia during that period to refresh, and she looked back at her sharpest as City hammered Leicester with a first-half double from Khadija Shaw, with goals from Jess Park and Fowler after the break.
On a miserable day in Manchester, Fowler's clincher just before the hour mark warmed up proceedings, as the ball wasn't properly cleared by the Leicester defence and she swivelled to hammer a sweetly struck volley beyond helpless German keeper Janina Leitzig.
It was Fowler's second league goal of the season to go with her two Champions League goals.
City's win did little to help them in their seemingly fruitless pursuit of leaders Chelsea, who made it nine wins out of nine with a 4-2 win over Dario Vidosic's Brighton, equalling the record for consecutive wins at the start of a WSL season set by Arsenal on 2018-19.
But Australian Vidosic's team did as well as any other WSL side this term in trying to ruin Sonia Bompastor's side's perfect record before the Blues, with a couple of goals from Sjoeke Nusken, were able to maintain their five-point lead over City at the top of the table.
On a day of plenty of goals, captain Gorry, back in action for West Ham after shoulder injury, showed why she's become a cult figure at the east London club, delivering another inspirational display to help inspire her side to fight back from an early 2-0 deficit.
A driving force in midfield, the tireless 32-year-old Gorry powered through to lay on a first-half equaliser for Seraina Piubel, and she was still going strong in the 92nd minute, firing home West Ham's fifth in a win that steers them away from the relegation zone.
Arsenal's fine form under interim boss Renee Slegers continued with a 4-0 triumph over Aston Villa, with all three of the Gunners' Matildas featuring.
Kyra Cooney-Cross's inswinging free kick in the 17th minute, glanced into the net by Alessia Russo's header, set up the convincing win, with Beth Mead and Stina Blackstenius also on target, before Russo grabbed her second in stoppage time.
Manchester United were not to be outdone, also putting four goals past Matildas' keeper Teagan Micah in the 4-0 win over Liverpool.
Clare Hunt and Hayley Raso were part of the Spurs team that beat Everton 2-1, with a double from Bethany England sinking the Merseysiders, who had Clare Wheeler in their ranks.
AAP
