CHELSEA DEFEAT BLOWS WSL TITLE RACE WIDE OPEN
Arsenal fell to a 2-1 defeat to defending champions Chelsea at Meadow Park on Sunday, with Manchester City winning at West Ham that means the Gunners drop down to 2nd, albeit with a game in hand. Emma Hayes’ resurgent Chelsea side are now two points behind Montemurro’s side, having played a game more.
We have new leaders
? @ManCity ?#FAWSL pic.twitter.com/y0TKgE7S8e
— The FA Women's Super League (@FAWSL) January 13, 2019
Two goals from Erin Cuthbert gave the away side a two goal lead, until Vivianne Miedema’s goal set up a tense last eight minutes. But Arsenal just couldn’t quite find a way through. However, with the game in hand, the title is still in Arsenal’s hands, just. There is a brief pause for international friendlies and training camps now, before Arsenal travel to Reading on Sunday, 27th January.
Erin Cuthbert's double for Chelsea Football Club Women downs the Gunners to throw title race wide open!
Posted by The FA Women's Super League on Monday, 14 January 2019
LEAH JOINS THE 100 CLUB
Arsenal defender Leah Williamson made her 100th appearance for the club yesterday, a quite incredible feat for a 21 year old. As she explained to Arseblog News yesterday, “It’s funny, I was just talking to my mum and we said I could have done it much more quickly were it not for injuries.
This Gooner made her ?th appearance for the club and we couldn’t be more proud ♥️?
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.@leahcwilliamson @ArsenalWFC #100Club #ShesOneOfOurOwn #Arsenal #COYG #WeAreTheArsenal pic.twitter.com/CQCiC4sTdc— Kunjan Malde (@kunjanmalde) January 13, 2019
“Naturally, I am always striving for more. In our meeting room at the training ground, the names of all the women who have made 100 appearances are on the wall and I look at some of the names on that wall and, without being too much of a fan girl, a lot of them are my heroes.”
Katie McCabe also made her 50th appearance for the club, as did Beth Mead. The full interview with Leah, in which she goes into the details of the defeat, the injury situation and her pride at completing 100 games for the club she has always supported, is available below.
https://t.co/AJbzExWkZw Spoke to @leahcwilliamson about today's game. On the loss of Danielle van de Donk, injuries not being an excuse, Chelsea's high press and their title hopes and, of course, reflections on her 100th Arsenal appearance today.
— Tim Stillman (@Stillberto) January 13, 2019
RECORD CROWD AT MEADOW PARK
Arsenal achieved their highest attendance in a WSL match on Sunday, with 3,019 turning out to watch the league leaders take on the defending champions. 3,467 turned out to watch the team win the Champions League back in 2007 and the club have achieved slightly higher attendances for games played at Emirates Stadium.
An amazing turn out yday for @ArsenalWFC v Chelsea. The clubs 2nd ever highest attendance (after 3467 for UEFA final in 2007) and many congrats to our very own @leahcwilliamson on joining the ? club! ? https://t.co/PtSAo4KS98
— Faye White MBE (@faye_white) January 14, 2019
INJURIES, INJURIES, INJURIES
Arsenal have been bitten by the injury bug once more. Danielle van de Donk injured her thigh in training last week, which saw her miss the Chelsea game. During the match, Beth Mead had to be replaced due to a knee injury, while Lisa Evans has pulled out of the Scotland squad with a knock picked up in this match too. Arsenal will hope to have those players back swiftly after the international break.
#SWNT Squad Update:
OUT: @LisaEvans_17
IN: @absgee123 #OurGirlsOurGame pic.twitter.com/bLkAmx0aI9— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) January 14, 2019
INTERNATIONALS, INTERNATIONALS, INTERNATIONALS
Most of the players will now join their countries for friendlies or training camps. Sari van Veenendaal, Vivianne Miedema and Dominique Bloodworth join the Netherlands for a training camp in South Africa. Katrine Veje and Janni Arnth are in the Denmark squad to play Finland a week on Monday.
Leah Williamson will join the Lionesses for their training camp in Qatar, Beth Mead will have her knee injury checked before a decision is taken on her involvement. Katie McCabe and Louise Quinn travel to Spain with Ireland to play Belgium. Pauline Payraud Magnin will represent France against the US, while Lia Walti has been called into the Swiss squad for a training camp in Spain.
Always a pleasure! Looking forward to meeting back up with these cailíní next week ☘️?? pic.twitter.com/JsPDDvVab6
— Louise Quinn (@louise_quinn4) January 8, 2019
IT’S MANCHESTER UNITED IN THE CONTI CUP
Arsenal have been drawn to play Casey Stoney’s Manchester United in the semi-finals of the FAWSL Continental Tyres Cup. The match will be played at Meadow Park on 6th or 7th February (precise date TBC). It’s the first team the sides have met since United decided to reform a women’s team last year. The winner will play either Chelsea or Manchester City in the Conti Cup Final at Bramall Lane on 23rd February.
Here's what the rest of the current women's football season looks like for Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. pic.twitter.com/neypUI1khe
— Rich Laverty (@RichJLaverty) January 13, 2019
COMING UP
Busy press box yesterday, so I didn’t get to conduct the January feature interview, but I will do at Reading in a couple of weeks. So that will go up at the end of the month. There will be another round-up next week and a full preview of the Reading game a week on Friday. There will also be exclusive reaction from the Reading match on the site just after the final whistle.
Thanks for this Tim.
Yes, we’re under real pressure now, but no need to panic.
If we win our game in hand, then, along with our superior goal difference, we will be back
in the driving seat.
Come on Arsenal Women!
How many games left for the league to wrap up?
And injury gods destroying a team on a good run..tell me something new.
I thought the girls looked tired on Sunday, most of them had featured in the Conti Cup match midweek, and only picked up after we scored in the 80th minute (who else but Miedema?) Shame we couldn’t quite find that second goal, but we left it too late.
It’s going to be a tight run-in from here on! This is going to be a most memorable WSL season whatever happens… It could all come down to the last day. It’s quite possible that City could go the whole season unbeaten and still finish 2nd.
COYG!!
And look at the fixture list!
Last WSL game of the season, May 12th, at home to Manchester City!!!
For once the international break might do us some good and give some of the players a chance to recharge their batteries or at least train in some nice warm places!