Ruthless Gunners bring Liverpool Women crashing back down to earth – with 4-0 win at Emirates!

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·23 mars 2025

Ruthless Gunners bring Liverpool Women crashing back down to earth – with 4-0 win at Emirates!

After their 2-0 loss against Real Madrid in midweek Arsenal would take to the pristine Emirates pitch in front of a 35,628 stadium of attendance to face a Liverpool side that demolished Manchester united in their previous league game, in what would be their 25th Women’s Super League meeting between the two sides, with both sides desperate for the win to keep up momentum in the league.

Arsenal went into this game having won 10 of the last 11 WSL games v Liverpool scoring 27 goals in the process but Liverpool had won six of the last seven games in all competitions including a 1-0 over Arsenal in the FA Cup quarterfinals, which Arsenal would surely want to avenge but Liverpool would be high on confidence too and would be tough to break down.

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With Daphne Van Domselaar returning in goal after concussion that would already be a confidence boost to an Arsenal side that had conceded three goals in two games with Manuela Zinsberger in goal for those games.

And any doubts that anyone would have that Arsenal would have the hangover from Spain and would be downbeat were quickly demolished as they came out firing piling relentless pressure on their rivals from the first whistle.

Pure dominance from the ladies saw the first shot of the match arrive within the first five minutes and that fell to Chloe Kelly but her shot rose just above the cross bar. Alessia Russo then came closest to the first goal within 12 minutes, but a deflection took the ball just wide and out for a corner. Had she scored it would have been from some great build up play as Frida Maanums backheel found Kelly who fed it into Russo in the box but although it didn’t go in, that first goal was not too far away.

Maanum then had two chances herself in the space of seconds, her first shot hit the post after some lovely link up play between herself and Russo and her second chance was a header which went straight into the hands of Rachael Laws in the Liverpool goal. But that relentless pressure saw seven shots in the first 25 minutes to Liverpool’s zero shots.

The pressure would pay off though as the breakthrough would come through Caitlin Foord on 27 minutes after a corner was whipped in by Kelly and, after a scramble in the box, Maanum would lay it off to Foord and Foord would finish it off for her third WSL goal of the season to make it 1-0. But the fans did not have to wait too long for the next goal as the pressure from the ladies finally paid off and we had two goals in two minutes.

Liverpool’s Sam Kerr got caught in possession by Foord who found Russo who then found Kim Little in the box, she then cut the ball back into the box where it was directed to the feet of Foord for the second goal of the game. But it would go down as an own goal from Jasmine Matthews who had the last touch as she was trying to shield Foord from bundling it into the back of the net, but by doing so bundled it in herself.

Although it was hard to pick a player from that first half that stood out, Maanum would be one of the best players on the pitch in that first half as she was involved in everything from start to finish, but she got so unlucky in front of goal as the woodwork constantly denied her and that was the only thing that was missing from her game today.

Arsenal were no doubt comfortable at 2-0 but 43 minutes in and Mariona Caldentey would rub salt in the wounds of the Liverpool players just before half time as she got the third goal of the game. The ball was worked out into the wide area which was crossed in and headed away by a Liverpool player but not that far away as it would land at Caldentey’s feet and with her left foot, a sweet strike would see it curled into the net for her sixth goal in her last seven WSL appearances.

Arsenal Women’s mariona caldentey

Liverpool would offer nothing going forward but that was down to the pure pressure and excellent standard of play from Arsenal from start to finish in the first half that saw the ladies have 13 to Liverpool’s one shot, with three on target and three scored for the Gunners.

The only downside of the first half was that Katie McCabe picked up her fifth yellow card meaning she will miss the game v Crystal Palace in eight days’ time. But other than that Arsenal would go in 3-0 up at the break, and very rarely troubled by Liverpool who were in complete contrast to the side that blew Manchester United away 3-1 at old Trafford in their previous game.

Jenna Nighswonger who has not featured in the last four games in all competitions came on at half time for McCabe and Liverpool came out a bit more controlled in the second half where they had a bit more possession, but it would be Arsenal who would continue their great play from the first half creating more and more chances and that fourth goal wasn’t too far it seemed.

Sleger’s made sure of more changes though and Lia Walti and Beth Mead would take to the field on the 65th minute in place of Emily Fox and Little, the latter whom did roll her ankle just before coming off but hopefully it is nothing serious and she will be available for the Real Madrid game in midweek.

It would be Mead who would make that instant impact though, four minutes after coming on she would get the fourth goal of the game after a lovely ball by Leah Williamson found Mead who took a shot that looked like it was heading into the back of the net anyway, but the deflection off of Matthews again, helped it on its way for her second own goal of the game.

With that fourth goal it meant Arsenal would make WSL history after becoming the first team in the WSL to score four plus goals in six consecutive WSL home games.

Victoria Pelova then made a welcome return from the ACL injury she sustained, for her first appearance in almost a year, she replaced Caldentey on the 73rd minute. Despite creating some more chances in the second half Arsenal couldn’t convert anymore and seemed happy to just have a kick about on the pitch. In seeing the game wrapped up at 4-0 Slegers took off Williamson on the 88th minute and replaced her with Katie Reid for the remainder of the match, that would end 4-0 to the Arsenal and all three points would stay in North London.

Speaking before the match to Sky Sports, Renee Slegers said “We want to be better. Staff and players are on the same page. Every opponent gives you opportunities and we see them today. Hopefully you see where we try and find them.” Well our Gunner women certainly did take their opportunities and did not disappoint.

If Arsenal Women play like this in the second leg of the Women’s Champions League tie, on a decent pitch, with this much pressure and clinical finishing then there is no reason why they cannot bounce back for the win and go through to the next round.

Heres hoping hey Gooners! What are your thoughts on the game?

Shenel Osman @sh3n3l_

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