In a great advert for the women’s game, this opening weekend fixture rightly ended with honours even. Both teams, on this form, will be in the shake up for silverware come the end of the season.
Champions Chelsea’s new era kicked off under manager Sonia Bompastor – the woman responsible for picking up the mantle left by the legendary Emma Hayes – and it was the perfect start as they recorded a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa on Friday night.
That meant that both the Gunners and City had to make their own early statements during this encounter in north London.
Last term’s runners-up, City must still be feeling some pain having looked odds-on to lift the title only for the aforementioned Blues’ to edge them out on the final day.
If City are to go again, they will heavily rely on striker Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw.
Shaw enhanced her reputation as the WSL’s deadliest finisher by topping the scoring charts last season, netting 21 times in just 18 appearances and winning a hatfiul of individual awards including PFA Player of the Season.
The Jamaican scored 22 goals in just 20 appearances for Bordeaux before joining her present employers in June 2021, and currently has 72 goals in 83 outings for the club.
Her only real contributions came late in the game. In the 72nd minute her left foot shot was smartly saved by Manuela Zinsberger in the home goal.
To add to her frustration, Shaw was booked in added time after a late lunge that referee Abi Bryne did not take a liking to.
However, the real action had taken place prior to that caution.
The hosts took the lead in the ninth minute when Frida Maanum neatly slotted home. Early on, the Gunners were all over their opponents but failed to capitalise on the chances they created. They were to pay the price.
In the City line-up was former Gunner Vivianne Miedema and having received a warm welcome from most of the 41, 818 crowd, she became the least popular woman in the stadium when she equalised for the visitors via a deflected shot just before time.
City were a different outfit in the second half. There was more aggression to their play and they began to create chances.
Jess Park took one of those chances in the 58th minute with a long range effort that flew in via the crossbar. Thereafter City looked the more likely winners.
To Arsenal’s credit they kept going and sub Alessia Russo contrived to miss a golden opportunity to give her team parity.
Another sub, the popular Beth Mead, did what Russo failed to do, firing home from close range nine minutes from time.
An impressive turnout of 41,818 Arsenal and Manchester City fans arrived at the Emirates Stadium, each faction hoping their women’s team would set the tone for the day, with their respective men’s team playing the same opposition later in the day. Neither were able to deliver victory on the opening weekend of the Women’s Super League season but they certainly put on a show, the Gunners’ scoring first and last in a thrilling 2-2 draw, in which the hosts’ record goalscorer, Vivianne Miedema, was on the scoresheet for her new club.
Gareth Taylor said he was happy with the point but “would have been happier with the three given the context of the game”. The City manager added: “It’s the season opener, at the Emirates, in front of a big crowd, people have to understand what that does to players … We have to be fairly content.”
Jonas Eidevall made three changes to the Arsenal side that suffered a 1-0 defeat at BK Häcken in their Champions League qualifier first leg on Wednesday, with Stina Blackstenius, Caitlin Foord and Frida Maanum coming into the starting XI. Leah Williamson remained absent, with the club announcing before kick-off that they were following concussion protocol.
For City, who earned a 5-0 first-leg win against Paris FC in midweek, there was one change, with Khadija Shaw back in the starting XI after the club had failed to make a visa application for her to play in France.
Arsenal had not hosted City at the Emirates in recent years, despite their increase in fixtures at the main stadium. With City’s wide threat so dangerous, condensing them on to the narrower Meadow Park pitch has seemingly been preferred.
Much was made in the buildup of Miedema’s return. It was somewhat inevitable that she would brutally expose the team she knows so well within minutes, robbing Kim Little and trying to exploit Manuela Zinsberger being off her line, but her effort went just wide.
The response to the error was instant, though, with Foord’s ball in from the right behind Blackstenius but perfect for the arriving Maanum, who fired in.
Despite City’s dominance in possession, Arsenal had the better chances in the first half but they would be made to pay for their profligacy. The equaliser could have only one scorer, Miedema evading Little before nutmegging the Scotland midfielder and Lotte Wubben-Moy, her shot taking a deflection off Laia Codina to wrongfoot Zinsberger. The Dutch forward did not celebrate, but she rarely does anyway.
“It was a big day for her and a tough one to get through,” said Taylor. “There would have been some nice moments but I’m sure it’s one she is probably happy is put to bed now.”
How did Eidevall feel about it? “Nothing,” he said. “It was a player scoring a goal against us, for me it doesn’t make a difference.”
The home side were in the ascendancy after the break and soon had the ball in the net, with Laia Aleixandri fortunate that Foord was judged to have been narrowly offside when she turned the ball in from close range.
City were patient, though, and took the lead in style just before the hour. A headed clearance was met by Jess Park, who brought the ball down with one touch before hitting it on the turn. The effort flew towards the top left corner, deflecting down off the crossbar and in. The pocket of City fans roared as a block in the corner nearest the effort, the rest of the stadium stunned into silence.
Taylor missed the goal. “I knew you would ask me what I thought of it, but I didn’t actually see it,” he said, sheepishly – the manager regularly preferring to have a higher view of the pitch in the first half. “I was coming down from upstairs, but I heard it was good.”
Miedema was among the two changes apiece that came around the 73rd minute, given a warm ovation from both sets of fans as she exited the pitch.
If Arsenal had been unlucky with the offside, then they were fortunate with the leveller, McCabe bringing down Chloe Kelly, who tangled with Little, allowing McCabe to flick the ball over the pair and play in Rosa Kafaji, who clipped an effort off the bar that Beth Mead turned in.
Taylor was unhappy with the decision in the buildup. “I haven’t seen the potential foul from Katie McCabe, but I was informed by the fourth official that they indicated to the referee it was a foul and so did the linesman. She decided to go against it, which is her prerogative.”
After seven minutes of added time the final whistle confirmed the spoils would be shared. The happiest side? Chelsea.
Arsenal fans celebrate after Beth Mead's equaliser. Credit- @cardyfreddie
Match Summary: A frustrating afternoon at times for Arsenal at the Emirates. A strong showing for much of the first half, and an emphatic early goal rendered Arsenal confident and in-control. But two sucker-punch goals either side of the break put the Gunners on the back foot, before Beth Mead stepped up with a timely equaliser. Plenty to work on, but equally lots of positives to be taken from this opening-day affair.
Player ratings:
Manu Zinsberger. 6.5/10. Didn’t put a consequential foot wrong all day. Was unlucky to be caught out by a jammy deflection and a worldie in equal measure, and looked to be positive in his distribution. A harsh critic might want her to be more accurate in her longer-range passing.
Emily Fox. 6.5/10. Plenty of ball-time, and incredibly reliable as an outlet in beating the City press when initiating Arsenal counters. Equally impressive defensively when called on to help quell Shaw’s attacking threat.
Lotte Wubben-Moy. 7/10. An under-the-radar job. The highest compliment that can be paid is that City’s famously dangerous and newly-bolstered frontline didn’t have much joy, with their goals having to come from lucky knicks and twenty-yard screamers. There was plenty to deal with down her side all afternoon, and she was more than up-to the challenge.
Laia Codina. 7/10. Plenty of well-won headers, always available to Zinsberger in playing out, and consistently made sensible decisions when thinking short vs long.
Mariona Caldentey. 6.5/10. Constantly looked to unlock City’s back four, and had plenty of success in doing so in the first-half. A much more muted display in the second forty-five.
Kim Little. 6.5/10. Again, a tale of two halves for me. Arsenal clearly won the first-half midfield battle, and Little was integral to considered and successful approach play in getting through City’s lines. As a team, Arsenal seemed to lose some confidence and execution in this regard in the second half, and Little didn’t seem to receive play very much amongst this more muted display.
Katie McCabe. 8/10. Water covers 70% of the Earth, Katie McCabe covers the rest (even when she’s not meant to). Block after block, and so assured on the ball when looking to launchpad Arsenal out of the defensive third. Occasionally, her decision-making leaves a little to be desired, but today’s performance was an excellent response to a tricky night mid-week. Vital in Arsenal’s equaliser.
Frida Maanum. 7/10. Emphatic finish for Arsenal’s opener. Connection and understanding with Blackstenius plain for all to see. A justified selection, but will likely rue not bagging more than a single goal in this one.
Caitlin Foord. 6/10. A central fixture in Arsenal’s on-the-ball play, but not quite able to influence the game as I’m sure she would’ve hoped. Hooked off relatively early to make way for Eidevall’s attacking changes.
Stina Blackstenius. 6.5/10. Caused the city defence all kinds of trouble in forcing them to run back toward their own goal, but was profligate at times in front of the keeper. Could’ve (and maybe should’ve) had two or three on the day.
Kyra Cooney-Cross. 7/10. Metronomic midfield play at times. Unafraid to look to switch, often kickstarting Arsenal attacks in doing so. An assured performance from a young, but increasingly important member of this team.
(Sub, Beth Mead 7/10. 63’ (for Foord). Death, Taxes, and Beth Mead. The Emirates crowd were absolutely delighted with her introduction at the sixty-third minute mark, and she popped up with a goal at the most vital of times. )
(Sub, Russo 6/10. 63’. (for Blackstenius). A clear and deserved fan favourite. Her arrival alongside Beth Mead seemed to rattle City’s defensive psyche.)
(Sub, Kafaji 74’ (for Maanum). Breathed new life into the side when she came on, making darting runs in behding the City backline, one of which led to our equalising goal via a near-post deflection. )
(Sub, Walti 74’ (for Cooney-Cross).
Subs not used: van Domselaar, Reid, Wienroither, Kuhl, Godfrey.
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