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.
Dimwits with lines better than those without!
I can’t trust Manu, has Daphne signed to stay on the bench?
I know Manu defenders will come back with how good her stats are compared with other WSL keepers but I am sick and tired of seeing her just stand there and watch the ball fly past her into the net. If you dive for the ball and it goes in that is one thing but standing still is not attempting to do your job of keeping the ball out! Both goals today and many others in recent matches. The concern is that this is one facet of her game that has not improved in all the time she has been… Read more »
Frustrating result as we could have scored easily a few more with the chances we created. The only consolation is that we haven’t actually lost it
We definitely had the better chances than them this game.
Very frustrating match, we clearly had the beating of them but some poor finishing let us down. Blackstenius was especially guilty, and Russo didn’t cover herself in glory either. However the all-round play from the team was good. Thought Fox and McCabe both had excellent games. Our response when going 2-1 down was poor, City piled on the pressure and it wasn’t until Walti came on to steady the ship that we started to put muscle them. All the goals (theirs and ours) had a strong element of luck around them, so it goes I guess …
Sum this game up in one sentence: POOR FINISHING.
I like how we play against teams that don’t sit back. We look really good. Jonas now has to find a way to pummell teams that come at us with the low block, then we have a fighting chance of being up there at the end of the season. Our strikers should also learn to finish their chances!
Strikers should be able to put it in the net when one on one with the keeper
It’s time to stop moaning and holding the players responsible. The refrees hate us.. it’s been like that for ages.. remember how united ended our unbeaten run? But it’s doesn’t justify players being foolish. Trossard was foolish today and that attitude is being known with our players.. Jesus came in and acted same.. delaying their corner. Arteta needs to own this situation and caution the players. I hope with trosaard is the last our player will do this. You are on a yellow.. u should be the most careful player on the pitch.. don’t be plain stupid . the refrees… Read more »
This is the women’s page !!
Should have gone to Specsavers!
Im slightly concerned about the drop in our attendance, the attendances across the WSL this weekend have not been good. I know 41’000 is good but it was better last season against other top sides.
Hmm, dunno. A solid 40,000 is what I expected our average Emirates attendance to be for this season. We’ll get more for the derbies Vs Spurs and Chelsea, more for the Man United match, and more for crunch games as the season progresses. 60,000 every week is unrealistic, IMO.
It’s still more than the other sides get even when they play in the larger stadia and Arsenal get that gate regularly.
I know but l want it to be 60’000 every game 😁
I think that due to men’s games, this may be influencing a lot, I thought about it today.
I actually don’t think it does
Manu having a goalkeeper timeout as usual, thought she was going to make a full 90 minutes without a sit down
The attackers need to know that they can also provide an assist for the goal, the move by Alessia Russo where Rosa Kafaji was entering the area alone was unacceptable, it hurt my heart, so these decision-making processes have to be worked on a lot between them as well.
Thanks, Aidan. Late to the party but I enjoyed this match enormously. It was one of those performances which has plenty of mistakes but also plenty of great play. I wasn’t nervous, which usually means we are doing a grand job. I always think we have City’s number anyway and the players had an air of confidence. We deserved to win that game by the odd goal – I had it down in my head as a 3-2 win after City equalised. But hey-ho, enough had been said about our finishing! What continues to be pleasing is that we are… Read more »