There were a lot of positives but a few negatives to from the 4-0 win against Yeovil on Sunday.

So what did we learn? Quite a lot, actually, including a thrashing of Spurs, missing players, returning players and a defender crisis….

League form

The team has now climbed to the third place in the table overtaking Liverpool.

It was kind of expected following the crucial away midweek win against the Reds.

https://twitter.com/FAWSL/status/962720686878986240

Champions League and title prospects are still a pipe dream, however.

With six points to make up on Chelsea and eight to Manchester City, it would need a miracle to get level with those two teams.

There is also the goal difference deficit which is like an extra point in itself.

Kim Little is back

The Scottish playmaker was named in the matchday squad at the weekend and seems to be close to coming back into the team.

It will interesting to see if she goes straight into the starting 11 and where will she play as there is a lot of competition for a place in the midfield three.

Bethany Mead is a credible candidate over Anna Miedema in the striker role

The young striker scored two and has been consistent since the season started despite starting most of the games on the left wing.

While Mediema has looked sluggish at times, she is still a very complete striker, powerful, clinical and very much a team player.

The only question is how does the team play around the Dutch striker because when playing direct, either in transition or under high pressure during build up play, that kind of game fits Mead more than Miedema.

Sunday’s set up, with the team playing in the opposition’s half, would have suited the Dutch player perfectly but she was not available.

Mead scored two and had another good game, so questions need to be asked if Mead should start more games as the number 9.

For the record, I would actually play both in a 4-4-2 system.

Heather O’Reilly was clocking the air miles this week

Heather O’Reilly flew to Orlando and back to vote for the US Soccer presidential election and still played 60 odd minutes due to Leah Williamson’s early injury.

https://twitter.com/thegoalkeeper/status/962821074588241921

Anna Filbey is ready for the step up

The Development Team captain, who has been training with the first team this season, made her League and home debut.

She made her first team debut in the Conti Cup away to Millwall at right-centre back.

It seems to be her breakthrough year into the first team, but she is playing in a position where she has top quality players ahead of her (Nobbs, Little, Van De Donk) and will find it hard to get much game time in the near future.

Jemma Rose and Vyan Sampson have vanished

Both players have removed Arsenal from their social media profile and it seems a bit strange as no announcement has been made.

Vyan might have been out of contract and therefore released as she is no longer mentioned in the matchday program.

Jemma has been missing in action since the Reading League game, where she was dropped following her performance in the Reading Conti-Cup semi-final.

She subsequently did not make the bench against Yeovil (A), Liverpool ( A), Yeovil (H).

With the transfer window closed, she cannot make a move to another FA WSL club. She could only move to a league where the transfer window is still open.

Hopefully, the problem between the club and Jemma can be resolved and she can come back into the team especially as the club is really short of centre-backs.

Injury worries in defensive positions continue

Injury to Leah Williamson exposes lack of cover at centre back and in defensive midfield.

We finished the game with Louise Quinn alongside the very reliable Dominique Janssen with Jordan Nobbs and Danielle Van De Donk as the double pivot.

It is quite striking that there is actually no cover at all in the defensive midfield position and Development team players are actually next in queue.

Ava Kuyken is injured at the moment, while Miri Taylor and Beth Lumbsden are just back from injury.

Options at centre back are getting thin as well.

As mentioned above with Jemma Rose and Vyan Sampson’s uncertain status, and Josephine Henning and Jessica Samuelsson currently injured, there is no specialist cover at all.

Development Team players like Shannon Cooke and Georgia Eaton-Collins, both England u18 players, are next in queue.

At least one team at the club can trash Spurs

The Development team went top of their League or the first time this season thanks to a 10-1 win against Spurs Ladies.

Three hat-tricks from Jess N’Gunga, Lachante Paul and Gabby Ravenscroft and a goal from Paige Bailey-Gayle completed the rout.

They are top of the League, two points ahead of Millwall with a game in hand and three points ahead of Bristol with four games in hand.