Adds result of late game

LONDON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Manchester United striker Melvine Malard scored twice in her side's 5-1 thrashing of London City Lionesses and Sam Kerr netted on her return after a long injury lay-off as Chelsea beat Aston Villa 3-1 in the Women's Super League on Sunday.

United scored some superb goals in their drubbing of the newcomers but the headlines will go to Australian Kerr, who bundled home the ball in her first game back following a 20-month absence to complete the scoring in her side's victory over Villa.

With Maya Le Tissier having given United the lead from the penalty spot in the third minute, fullback Jayde Riviere lashed home the second half an hour later, first looking as if she was going to cross before rattling the ball into the net from a tight angle.

Malard, who also netted twice in United's 4-0 thrashing of Leicester City on the opening weekend, struck her first goal of the day two minutes after halftime and added a second with a deft header three minutes later.

Nikita Parris pulled back a goal for the home side against her former club, but Jess Park grabbed a fifth in the 87th minute to complete the rout, her first goal since joining from Manchester City on September 4.

Leicester City bounced back from having Shannon O'Brien sent off by scoring three minutes later as they beat Liverpool 1-0, with Emily Van Egmond grabbing the winner in the 59th minute.

On Friday, Alessia Russo scored twice as Arsenal hammered West Ham United 5-1, while on Saturday Manchester City grabbed their first win of the season with a 2-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.

In a round of games that featured some spectacular strikes, new Tottenham Hotspur signing Cathinka Tandberg saved the best for last, scoring with an audacious long-range lob as Spurs won 2-0 away to Everton in Sunday's late game.

(Reporting by Philip O'Connor; editing by Clare Fallon and Pritha Sarkar)

((philip.oconnor@thomsonreuters.com))