Saturday, February 17th, was a remarkable day for the Arsenal Women. Eidevall and the girls faced Manchester United women in a sold-out Emirates Stadium (60,160 people attended). With 28 points going into the game, they knew that a win would put them within three points of the top of the table after Manchester City defeated Chelsea on Friday night. The two tying for 34 points on top of the WSL table.
How did it happen?
Katie McCabe’s corner from close range bounced off Geyse 10 minutes into the game, giving Arsenal the lead. It got worse for United in the 35th minute, when Katie Zelem’s scooped clearance went to the unmarked Cloe Lacasse, who headed it into an empty net. Moments before halftime, defender Gemma Evans fouled Beth Mead, resulting in a penalty for Arsenal, which Kim Little converted. Lucia Garcia scored a consolation goal for United late in extra time in the second half, but it wasn’t enough for a comeback. The game finished with Arsenal winning 3-1 in front of an ecstatic Emirates crowd.
So, what did we learn from the game?
1. Arsenal Women have a fantastic squad
Arsenal women defeated United women 3-0 in the first half despite missing Amanda Ilestedt (sick), Leah Williamson (injured), and Emily Fox (on international duty), as well as key players Alessia Russo, Caitlin Foord, Manuela Zinsberger, and Vivianne Miedema being on the bench. Following the summer transfer window, it was evident that Arsenal Women’s had one of the strongest squads for the upcoming season. That was on display on Saturday. Even after refreshing the lineup, Arsenal remained strong; no player was missed.
2. Arsenal are still in the title chase, while United are not
Arsenal’s victory over United lifts them to 31 points. Chelsea’s title bid was briefly interrupted by their loss to City. City and Chelsea are now level with 34 points, three points ahead of Arsenal. The Gunner Women now only need to beat the top two in the WSL and not lose any more games to have a chance of winning the league. United are currently 10 points behind the leaders in the WSL; they simply cannot be in the title battle; in fact, their hopes of finishing third and qualifying for the Women’s Champions League qualifications have been nearly extinguished.
3. Sabrina D’Angelo and Cloe Lacasse will be missed!
Sabrina D’Angelo has been fantastic these past few weeks. It’s excellent that Eidevall listened to the fans and benched Manuela Zinsberger in a must-win game. Many have questioned Zinsberger’s goalkeeping this season, especially after Arsenal lost to Liverpool and Spurs. Zinsberger deserves a chance on this Arsenal team, and she’s showing she’s capable. On the other hand, Lacasse deserved a WSL start after delivering a five-star effort against the London City Lionesses. If she wasn’t competing for the Gold Cup, I believe Jonas Eidevall should have used her more in the upcoming games as the title competition heats up.
Michelle Maxwell
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