Our Arsenal Women extended their WSL wins to two on Sunday with a 2-1 victory over bottom-of-the-table Bristol City, with Katie McCabe scoring both goals.
There are numerous things I might say about that game, but here are three that stand out.
1. McCabe Saves Us Once Again
The Irish international orchestrated the comeback against Villa the other week. In that game, Arsenal were trailing Villa by a goal, but in injury time, she equalized before moments later Russo scored the winner. Just like in the Villa game, she stepped up against Bristol and scored two goals. Her first goal was a banger (a rocket into the top corner); her second was also magnificent; it alleviated the Gunners’ inability to break down Bristol City. On Sunday evening, she backed up the notion that she only scores bangers.
McCabe continues to demonstrate her value to Eidevall’s project. She’s proving that the club was right to offer her a new contract. She is Arsenal’s leading scorer with three goals.
2. Mead Nears Full Return
Beth Mead made her first appearance for Arsenal in a long time (her ACL injury had her out for more than 10 months) last week, when the Gunner women defeated Aston Villa 2-1. In the game, she came on as an 88th-minute sub. Notably, she assisted Russo in her goal-winning goal.
On Sunday, she came on as a 67th-minute substitute against Bristol City. She’s making a steady comeback, and with head coach Eidevall increasing her minutes on the pitch, she may soon be able to start games and eventually play the entire game. With enough game time, she could rediscover her rhythm and positively impact the team.
3. Miedema Makes Her First Appearance
After missing more than ten months due to injury, Vivianne Miedema was given the opportunity to get back on the pitch for our Gunners. She was named in Arsenal’s matchday squad and was an option from the bench. She shone the last three times Arsenal women played Bristol City, scoring twice in a 4-0 win, once in a 3-1 win, and six times in a famous 11-1 WSL win in 2019.
With the influence she appears to have over Bristol City, there’s a chance Eidevall would have been tempted to bring her on early. Instead, he gave her a brief cameo, introducing her near the end of the game in injury time. Miedema getting minutes indicates that she will soon be fully back and do what she does best, which is tormenting Arsenal women’s opponents.
COYGW!
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