By Joe Rosedon 30/4/24
Above: Issy Hobson by Everton Football Club
Everton snatch late equaliser against Arsenal after 16-year-old Issy Hobson cancels out Alessia Russo’s opening goal, securing the home side’s first point against the visitors since 2012.
Hobson, now the youngest-ever goal scorer in Women’s Super League history, rescued a point for the home side in the dying minutes of the game.
In a somewhat lacklustre first half, Arsenal created the first chance of the game when Catlin Foord played a deft through ball from the left-hand side to Stina Blackstenius, who forced a good save from Courtney Brosnan at close range.
Foord could have scored herself, miscuing her effort after finding space in the Everton penalty area while Victoria Pelova dragged her shot wide of the post in first-half stoppage time.
Everton did threaten. A looped corner from Sara Holmgaard found Karen Holmgaard but her towering header struck the crossbar. Martina Piemonte had a speculative attempt from the halfway line but did not do enough to trouble Manuela Zinsberger in the Arsenal goal.
Pelova could have scored in the opening stages of the second half. Katie McCabe’s cutback found the Dutch international but again failed to convert the chance into a goal for the visiting team.
A Beth Mead cross almost found Cloe Lacasse to head home while Emily Fox fired a shot straight into the hands of Brosnan. Another Mead cross this time found Russo, but she scooped her effort over the bar.
It took until the 79th minute for Arsenal to break the deadlock. Lacasse cut in from the left side and found Mead at the far post. Her effort forced an excellent save from Brosnan, but the ball fell fortuitously to Russo in the box to fire home. Arsenal thought all three points were theirs
Yet it was not enough for the away side to seal victory. Everton had looked most threatening from corners throughout the game and second-half substitute Isabella Hobson rose highest to head home from the corner to snatch a point for the home side.
Arsenal’s already remote chances of winning the Women’s Super League are all but over after this result. For Everton, this should be considered a high point in an injury riddle season for the Toffees.
After the match, Everton manager Brian Sorensen said “In the first half they suffocated us but we saw it through and we got it in the end
I’m really happy for Issy. She trained well with us and will make a really good centre-back one day”.
Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall said “We needed to be better with the effectiveness of our chances today. We did better in the second half than we did the first half in regard to that, so it was a couple of good details that changed.
“It is really important for us to finish the season strongly”
Starting XI’s:
Everton: Brosnan (GK) Wheeler, Vanhaevermaet, Bissell(Settle 90+8) Hope,Piemonte (Hobson 80),Finnigan,© S Holmgaard, Snoeijs, Stenevik, K Holmgaard(Dale 63)
Subs Not Used: Hart(GK), Wilding, Jones
Arsenal: Zinsberger(GK) Fox, Williamson (Codina 45) Catley, Mead, Little © McCabe, Foord (Lacasse 63) Pelova (Cooney-Cross 73) Russo, Blackstenius (Maanum 63)
Sub Not Used: Williams (GK), Miedema, Wienroither, Golide, Reid
Referee: Phoebe Cross
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