Arsenal: Van Domselaar; Fox, Williamson, Wubben-Moy, Catley; Cooney-Cross, Mariona; Mead, Maanum, Russo; Blackstenius
Substitutes: Zinsberger, Williams, Codina, Wälti, Kafaji, Nighswonger, Ilestedt, Peacock, Reid
Arsenal have beaten Manchester City 4-3 in a topsy-turvy game at the Joie Stadium, climbing two points ahead of City. Stina Blackstenius scored the winner, as she did last season.
Renée Slegers made several enforced changes. With Kim Little and Caitlin Foord unavailable through injury, and Lia Wälti fit for the bench, Alessia Russo started wide, Stina Blackstenius started upfront. Lotte Wubben-Moy started at centre back, with Steph Catley playing left back in place of the suspended Katie McCabe.
Arsenal took the lead after 42 seconds. Khiara Kheating passed short to Laia Aleixandri, and Mariona tackled her. on the edge of the box. With only Kheating to beat, she curled her shot into the far corner. 0-1.
City looked to respond immediately, and a ricochet allowed Fujino to cut back to Roord, whose shot went wide of Van Domselaar’s near post.
Arsenal made it 2-0 on 8 minutes. Catley was fouled in midfield by Roord, and Cooney-Cross’ superb delivery into the box was met by Wiubben-Moy, who headed past an coming Keating and into the net. 0-2.
A minute later, Arsenal were in again. Mariona won possession and played Blackstenius through on goal, but as she looked to shoot, Knaak blocked the shot behind for a corner.
At the other end, Park’s driven ball into the box was flicked on by Miedema, but the flick on evaded both Fujino and the goal.
City nearly got one back. Fowler and Ouhabi combined on the left, and Fowler drove into the box before cutting the ball back, but Williamson intercepted the cut back. Ouhabi then got first to the rebound and shot, but fired wide.
Manchester City would score, though, cutting the deficit on 20 minutes. Fujino, on the right, dug a cross out, and Fowler, at the back post, beat Fowler and headed into the Arsenal net. 1-2.
City were piling on the pressure, and Fujino hit the bar from a corner, albeit from a cross from the byline. Miedema then shot from range, but straight at Van Domselaar.
At the other end, Mariona won the ball back from Aleixandri again, and found Cooney-Cross. Cooney-Cross slipped in Russo on the right, but from a narrow angle, he shot was straight at Kheating.
Hasegawa then forced a big save from Van Domselaar. From the edge of the box, Hasegawa’s curling shot was bound for goal, but Van Domselaar, at full extension, got a hand on the shot.
Arsenal nearly gifted City the equaliser. Van Domselaar passed to Cooney-Cross, who lost possession to Roord. Roord passed to Miedema, but she dragged her shot wide of goal.
In the final moments of the first half, Fujino, a constant threat, got away from Russo and Cooney-Cross, and shot from a central possession. It was straight at Van Domselaar, who bobbled the save, but grabbed the ball at the second attempt.
Arsenal started the second half sharply, and after passing the ball left to right, Fox combined with Mead and found Maanum in the centre. Maanum, though, couldn’t get a clean connection on her shot, which came to an offside Blackstenius.
Vivianne Miedema made it 2-2 on 50 minutes. Wubben-Moy passed short to Mariona, who was stripped of the ball by Miedema in the Arsenal penalty box, and she passed the ball past Van Domselaar. 2-2
A minute later, Arsenal regained the lead. Blackstenius held the ball up, and combined with Mariona. She slipped the ball in behind for Maanum, who passed the ball beyond Keating and into the far corner. 2-3.
Seconds after the restart, Manchester City won a penalty, as Arsenal got screwed by PGMOL again. Fujino got beyond Catley, who tripped the Japanese. It was clearly a foul, but also clearly outside, but the referee pointed to the spot, and Fowler converted the penalty. 3-3.
Blackstenius then had a chance to make it 4-3, as Mariona was played in behind. She crossed to Blackstenius, who was kicked by Knaak as she shot. The referee gave a corner.
Mead then almost found Blackstenius with a ball in behind, but Keating got out to clear just in time.
Manchester City made a double switch on 65 minutes, with Bunny Shaw and Kerolin replacing Miedema and Jess Park.
Maanum played a brilliant ball over the top for Blackstenius, behind the City defence. Keating rushed out, and Blackstenius took a heavy touch to get around her, forcing her wide, and City were able to eventually snuff out the danger.
On 69 minutes, Lia Wälti replaced Kyra Cooney-Cross, a change that ultimately turned the game decisively into Arsenal’s favour.
Slowly, Arsenal began controlling the ball a bit better, with some possession and threat, and Stina Blackstenius made it 4-3 on 78 minutes. Mariona played a brilliant cross-field ball for Mead, who crossed along the floor for Blackstenius, who made no mistake from 8 yards out. 3-4.
On 88 minutes, Rosa Kafaji replaced Stina Blackstenius, with Kafaji playing through the middle.
There was 5 minutes of stoppage time.
In the 94th minute, Kerolin got away from Williamson, and looked to drive into the box, but Wälti came across and cleared for a corner. Before the corner, Arsenal utilised their final substitution window, with Amanda Ilestedt replacing Beth Mead.
Fowler took the corner, but it went out for a goal kick, and Arsenal got over the line.
Justice in the end and well-deserved. Still such a shocking call for the “penalty” though. Highlights the urgent need for VAR in the women’s game.
Impressed with the team last week and even so today. Slegers defo looks like she knows what she is doing.
And oh, Walti, still a calming presence as ever. Love her.
No point if Darren England is in charge of VAR.
VAR only makes sense if it’s independent of PGMOL. No point of auditing the decisions of an incompetent and possibly corrupt organisation by the same incompetent and possibly corrupt organisation.
Wally immense. Lotte on Bunny the final 30 minutes just outstanding.
I have always felt Lotte has been hard done by with Catley’s (surprising) form and Renee’s preference for a left foot at LCB. Lotte seemed to grow in leaps and bounds last season and showed she can be trusted against today.
A very exciting and entertaining match, and most importantly a fantastic result at the ground of one of our rivals.
Here’s hoping our men can do the same against City this evening to make it an excellent double over City115 today.
COYGW 💪
COYG 💪
Agree with all the above! But also a victory for women’s football.
Caldentey…so damn good.
Ridiculous player. Me thinks we should be looking at snagging some more Barca players — especially the ones of Spanish stock 🙂
Feels almost like getting back at them a bit for Cesc?
Against tough opposition, away from home, the ladies took a really bad decision in their stride and still won. I have to say, that is just a spectacular show of character there.
Thought I’d got the men’s kickoff time wrong for a second!
1- That wasn’t a penalty, there’s something wrong with these referees for Arsenal.
2- Stina wanted to kill the fans’ hearts.
3- Arsenal won, without Foord, Katie and Kim.
4- Renée was very clever in the substitutions, I see now that Arsenal has a great technique, she’s taking blood from this team.
5- Happy with the result and for Chloé who left the club like that.
6- All the players are to be congratulated, but especially Lotte, a monster in defense and Mariona was tireless all over the field.
Vamos! it’s not over yet.
Such an interesting game. Mariona is just class. She’s so good. And the introduction of Walti brought calm and control.
Blackstenius isn’t very clinical though. That chance in the 9th minute to go 3 up would have changed the game completely. But in the end, it’s a good thing she was the match winner.
On to the next one….
Excellent win made so much more pleasurable because Gareth Taylor is the mosy ungenerous and unsporting “Manager” in the WSL and his team lost.
Seem to remember another game against city where Stina scored a similar third goal in anither victory. COYG