Danielle Carter: Arsenal Ladies must build on Women's FA Cup success

Danielle Carter's goal saw Arsenal Ladies win a record 14th Women's FA Cup in May

Arsenal Ladies striker Danielle Carter says they must pick up where they left off when the Women's Super League season resumes on Saturday, after winning the Women's FA Cup in May.

The WSL re-starts on Saturday and the Gunners host Sunderland, six weeks on from their last match, when Carter's winner beat Chelsea Ladies at Wembley.

Lying fifth, Arsenal are 12 points off Manchester City with two games in hand.

"We had momentum. Now we need to pick it up again," Carter told BBC Sport.

"Wembley was a special day but we need to put that success behind us now.

"This is a really important weekend. We need to make sure we win all of our games and then see what happens."

Saturday's opponents Sunderland, who lie eighth in the table, were on the receiving end of a 7-0 thrashing by Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-finals.

But Carter, who scored two goals against the Lady Black Cats in that match, expects a tough test in Saturday's league game.

"Sunderland will come out fighting," the 23-year-old added. "There are no easy games. Every team is improving.

"Notts (County) are improving, Liverpool are improving. Everyone is getting better.

"Winning the cup was amazing but we need to put things right in the league now."

England hopes

Carter netted a hat-trick on her senior England debut in September, but was not included in Mark Sampson's latest squad for June's back-to-back qualifiers against Serbia.

The Lionesses secured qualification for next summer's European Championships with consecutive 7-0 wins and Carter is aiming to earn a place in the national side.

"The target is just is to score as many goals as I can and break into the England team," she continued.

"It's great that we have qualified and hopefully we can keep on winning games."

Carter, who signed a new contract in January, is Arsenal's top scorer so far this season with four goals in eight club appearances in 2016, but her curling strike to beat Chelsea at Wembley was undoubtedly the most memorable.

"A lot of people keep showing it to me and sending it to me. It's been nice," Carter added.

"But I'm looking forward now and focusing on trying to keep scoring more goals."

Leaders Manchester City - the only unbeaten side still in WSL 1 in 2016 - lie four points above second-placed Chelsea ahead of the season's re-start, but the defending champions have played one game fewer than City.

Arsenal, title winners in 2011 and 2012, have won two and drawn one of their five matches so far, but suffered defeats by City and Chelsea.