Arsenal 5-0 Bristol City
By Joe Rosedon 15/4/24
Above: Leah Williamson (left) and Katie Reid. Photo Arsenal Women
Arsenal thump relegation-threatened Bristol City 5-0 to consolidate their place in the top three in the Women’s Super League table.
Doubles from Lionesses Beth Mead and Alessia Russo alongside an own goal from Ella Powel sealed a comfortablewin for the Gunners.
Arsenal opened the scoring in the 7th minute. Catlin Foord won the ball back high up on the left flank. The Australian international drove into the box, her effort struck the post, and the rebounding ball found Mead to fire the home side into the lead.
It was almost 2-0 soon after. A well-worked short corner found Victoria Pelova on the edge of the box, but her curled effort struck the crossbar. Stina Blackstenius also forced a good save from Bristol City keeper Fran Bentley and was inches away from turning in Mead’s cross at the far post.
A second goal felt inevitable. Again, it was Mead who provided it and again Foord was involved in the build-up. The Matilda’s ball found Mead, but her initial effort was blocked on the line. The ball fell kindly back to Mead to double Arsenal’s lead.
Two soon became three. Steph Catley’s, whose combination play with Foord down the left-hand side caused Bristol City problems all game, attempted cross deflected off Ella Powell looped over Bentley, and into the net.
Bristol City almost pulled a goal back in the opening stages of the second half. A long ball over the top eventually found Amalie Thestrup whose attempt was denied by a great Sabrina D’Angelo save at her near post.
Any potential Bristol City resistance was quickly squashed. Russo picked up the ball on the edge of the box and hammered home a long-range effort into the top corner to make it four.
Russo then got her second goal of the game to make it five. A cutback from second-half substitute Kaite McCabe found Russo who finished with a sumptuous first-time effort and rounded off the scoring.
Arsenal could have had more goals in the second half. Emily Fox had a long-range effort tipped over the bar while Mead and Blackstenius both went close.
This result for Arsenal increases the gap between them and Manchester United in fourth by nine points, all but securing Champions League football for next season. Bristol City are now seven points adrift from safety, with survival in the Women’s Super League looking less and less likely.
After the game, Russo said “We played some really nicefootball throughout the game. To score early and be clinical with our chances was really important”.
Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall said “I’m very happy with the performance. I always think it is difficult when we come back from an international break to get the rhythm going.
We showed variety in the way we attack the ball and I think we deserved to score five goals”.
Starting XI’s
Arsenal:D’Angelo, Fox (Wienroither 80) Wubben-Moy, Williamson (Reid 86) Catley, Mead(McCabe 63) Little(C) Foord (Lacasse 63) Pelova, Russo, Blackstenius
Goals: Mead,7,33, Powell (OG) 34 Russo, 60,73
Subs not used: Zinsberger, Goldie, Lia,
Bristol City: Bentley, Powell, (Bull 69) Rodgers, Aspin, Connolly(C),Napier, Syme(Furness 69) Stratigakis (Layzell69) Morgan, Thestrup, Evans(Ward 79)
Subs not used: Yanez, Clark, Struck, , Jones, Slocomb.
Referee: Lisa Benn
Attendance: 3,565
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