by Arsenal Women 3 Manchester United Women 1
Another day, another milestone for women’s football in this country. When it comes to setting records, Arsenal are the gift that keeps on giving.
60,160 tickets were sold for this encounter – the most ever for a Women’s Super League match. The North London club, remarkably, is responsible for the top five attendances in the women’s top flight.
The real news, however, is that Arsenal remain firmly in the WSL title race. The challenge will be to build on the positive energy from this comprehensive victory, which boosts their chances of reaching European football next season, and take it into the business end of the season as they chasing a first league crown since 2019.
“It would be nice to say it’s very significant but the reality is what we do in the next eight games that will give this win any value,” Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall said when pressed him about the importance of his team’s result. “If we don’t do well in the next eight games, today’s result means nothing.”
Arsenal have somewhat discouraged their fans with their relentless strike rate in front of goal of late, but they got along with the high-octane atmosphere inside the Emirates after benefiting from Geyse’s early own goal.
Against a lackluster United outfit with no breakthrough, the result was wrapped up before the break courtesy of a Cloe Lacasse header and a Kim Little penalty, while Lucia Garcia’s injury-time strike was the only blemish on an underwhelming performance.
The hosts were better in all areas, their big-play players stepping up in this win-at-cost game after England star Leah Williamson was ruled out with a hamstring problem.
The defender is believed to have a minor injury, but Eidevall said it was “likely” Williamson, who was recalled earlier this week to the Lionesses squad for their upcoming friendlies against Austria and Italy later this month after long period out with knees. injury, they would have to withdraw from Sarina Wiegman’s squad.
Her absence did little to dampen Arsenal’s resolve. The hosts extinguished United with their crisp passing game and repeatedly carved up the visitors with clever link-up play, as United were made to pay for their sloppy defending.
Lacasse, the true lynchpin of attack and torment of the visitors throughout the evening, was brilliant. Canada responded the quickest when Katie Zelem curled a panicked clearance across the goal mouth to head home. United’s miserable afternoon continued when Gemma Evans’ merciless challenge on Beth Mead earned Arsenal a penalty, which Kim Little headed into the net.
United head coach Marc Skinner cut a frustrated figure on the touchline before Geyse pulled one back on the hour mark to shake things up.
In truth, his personnel did not survive when they failed to deal with Katie McCabe’s controlled corner, which deflected off Geyse’s thigh and hit Mary Earps at her near post, 10 minutes into the action. Apart from Garcia’s late consolation goal – when the Spaniard headed home Ella Toone’s cross – they had little to say about it.
In a cruel twist, England star Russo, one of Skinner’s former alumni who swapped United for North London last summer, was the biggest cheer of the evening when she joined the fray midway through the second half.
Despite increasing the pressure, Arsenal continued to waste many golden opportunities in front of goal. Mead hit the woodwork twice, and Lacasse should have had another but was too far in front of Earps, who produced a series of trademark saves.
Skinner denied that the result was “harmful” but admitted that there was “no abundance of corruption” on his side. “We are still chasing the chase,” he said when asked if his side could still aim for a maiden league title. “That’s what we have to do. You have to be almost perfect coming to the Emirates, and we weren’t.”
It was a great relief to take to the stage in front of a bumper crowd for the team who are now seven points adrift of third-placed Arsenal and 10 adrift of league leaders Chelsea. “In the larger context of women’s football, I hope it continues to grow,” Skinner said of the Emirates sale.
Data matching
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): D’Angelo; McCabe, Codina, Wubben-Moy, Catley (Foord 84); Pelova (Cooney-Cross 45), Walti; Mead (Maanum 75), Little (Miedema 75), Lacasse; Blackstenius (Russo 66).
Booked: McCabe, Wubben-Moy, Foord.
Subsidiaries not used: Zinsberger (gk), Lia, Reid, Bouhaddi (gk)
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Ears; Evans (Galton 45), Le Tissier, Turner, Blundell; Naalsand (Ladd 70), Zelem; da Silva Ferreira (Williams 62), Toone, Garcia; Paris (Malard 77)
Booked: Blundell, Evans.
Subsidiaries not used: Tullis-Joyce, Mannion, Guerrero, Aherne.
Reference: Kirsty Dowle
Att: 60,160
