Report: Arsenal 2-2 Manchester City (inc goals)

Arsenal: Zinsberger; Fox, Wubben-Moy, Codina, McCabe; Little, Cooney-Cross (Wälti 73′); Foord (Mead 63′), Maanum (Kafaji 73′), Mariona; Blackstenius (Russo 63′)
Substitutes: Van Domselaar (GK), Reid, Wienroither, Godfrey, Kühl

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Arsenal have had to settle for a point from their WSL opener. Frida Maanum gave Arsenal the lead, but a deflected strike from Vivianne Miedema and a wonderstrike from Jess Park saw Manchester City go ahead, before Beth Mead equalised late. Arsenal can be frustrated, as Caitlin Foord had a goal incorrectly ruled out for offside, but Arsenal also missed three one v one chances.

Jonas Eidevall made three changes following Wednesday night’s game, with Frida Maanum, Stina Blackstenius, and Caitlin Foord coming into the side, and Rosa Kafaji, Alessia Russo, and Beth Mead dropping to the bench. Leah Williamson was out due to concussion protocol.

First Half

City started the stronger of the teams, with control of possession, but it was from Arsenal possession that City got their first clear chance on six minutes. Little was stripped of possession, and Miedema, seeing Zinsberger out from goal, went for goal, but her low shot went just wide.

A minute later, with their first real attack, Arsenal took the lead. Fox was afforded lots of time and space, and she played Foord in behind. Foord went beyond Ouahabi, and crossed from the right. Her cross found Blackstenius, whose inadvertent backheel set up Maanum to run onto the ball and fired into goal. 1-0.

Blackstenius then should’ve made it two. She was played in by a long ball by McCabe. Driven slightly wide by the advancing goalkeeper, Yamashita, her shot trickled over the line, on the wrong side of the empty net.

Zinsberger was tested on 21 minutes. Played into the middle by Greenwood, Hemp shot from range, with Zinsberger stretched but able to save relatively comfortably.

Hemp then looked looked for Shaw, but the cross evaded the striker. It came, though, to the open Fujino on the right of the penalty box, who set to shoot, but saw McCabe block her shot.

Maanum was found smartly by Fox in the middle. Choosing not to play in Blackstenius, who made the run, she drove forward and then shot from about 30 yards, with her shot going high and wide.

Blackstenius was a threat with her runs in behind, and only a last ditch stab at the ball stopped Blackstenius, having been played in behind down the left by Maanum, from setting Maanum up for a second.

Mariona hadn’t been involved for much of the first half, but on 33 minutes, she almost opened her Arsenal account. Found by a superb Wubben-Moy pass over the top, she looked to acrobatically volley over Yamashia with her first touch, with the ball going just over the roof of the net.

Vivianne Miedema equalised for Manchester City on 42 minutes. After she failed to backheel a through Little, she won the ball back and went past Wubben-Moy. She shaped to shoot, and her shot deflected off of Codina past a helpless Zinsberger. 1-1.

Blackstenius should’ve restored the lead on the stroke of half time. After Foord won possession, Blackstenius made the run behind Kennedy, and Maanum’s pass found her. Through on goal, she shot straight at Yamashita, who saved with her leg.

Second half

Arsenal thought they went ahead on 47 minutes. Maanum combined with Caldentey, and then shot and Foord turned in her shot. The flag, though, went up for offside, with replays showing that Alexaindri’s back heel probably kept Foord on. The WSL, though, is a VAR-less world, so rather than having two dimwits draw lines in a bunker, we played on.

Arsenal were having the better of the second half, but Jess Park gave City the lead against the run of play on 58 minutes. Collecting a loose ball on the edge of the area, she took one touch to collect and shot on the second, with the shot hitting the inside of the post and bar and going in. 1-2.

Miedema then looked to extend City’s lead, but her shot was straight at Zinsberger who parried.

On 63 minutes, Alessia Russo replaced Blackstenius, and Beth Mead replaced Foord.

Yamashita then got away with some poor play out of the back. Her attempted pass hit Mariona, but the ball rebounded straight to her.

Zinsberger saved from Miedema again, who ran onto a knockdown in the 6-yard box. Arsenal had down well to win the first ball, but again a City player was free to run onto the second ball.

City were dominant, though, and Hemp found Shaw in the box with a cutback. Shaw shot, but Zinsberger saved.

On 73 minutes, Rosa Kafaji replaced Frida Maanum, and Lia Wälti replaced Kyra Cooney-Cross.

On 75 minutes, Arsenal should’ve made it 2-2. Fox’s long pass played Russo through on goal. For the third time, though, Arsenal couldn’t take advantage of a 1v1, with Russo’s shot tame and straight at Yamashita.

Russo was again found by Fox. With defenders ahead of her this time, she was forced wide before she shot straight at Yamashita.

A minute later, Arsenal equalised. City thought Kelly had been fouled in midfield by McCabe, Arsenal played on, with McCabe slipping Kafaji in behind. Kafaji looked to dink Yamahsita with her left foot and hit the post, but Mead was there to bundle in the rebound. 2-2.

On 89 minutes, Little fouled Park on the edge of the box after Arsenal had again struggled to clear the second ball. Greenwood’s free kick, though, went straight into the wall.

There were 7 minutes of additional time.

Mariona played McCabe in behind after Arsenal won the ball back in midfield. McCabe found Kafaji, who shifted away from her marker, and looked to bend her shot, but she shot just over.

Shaw was found in the box on a second ball from a free kick, but as Shaw took it down, Codina got across and cleared the ball out for a throw.

Kelly got to Greenwood’s pass, and crossed. Arsenal cleared, but again a City player was first to the second ball on the edge of the area. The shot, though, was straight at Zinsberger.

Arsenal looked to have one more attack, but the referee blew for full time, much to Eidevall’s demonstrative disbelief.