In a compelling encounter at Broadfield Stadium, Arsenal Women extended their winning streak with a commanding 3-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.
Arsenal Women cruised to a 3-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion in the Barclays Women’s Super League at Broadfield Stadium on Sunday.
This win marked their sixth consecutive triumph in all competitions, highlighting their formidable form this season.
The match began with Arsenal asserting their dominance early on. Stina Blackstenius, returning to the starting lineup, opened the scoring 12 minutes into the first half. Despite an initial air kick, she had time to swivel and fire the ball into the top left corner for a 1-0 lead.
Arsenal’s defence, notably Lotte Wubben-Moy and Amanda Ilestedt, remained steadfast, effectively neutralising Brighton’s attempts at goal. Brighton’s Vicky Losada and Julia Zigiotti had opportunities to equalise, but their efforts were either off target or saved by Arsenal’s goalkeeper, Manuela Zinsberger.
The second half saw Brighton start brightly, but Arsenal’s defence, including a key intervention by Alessia Russo, kept them at bay.
Arsenal’s offensive pressure continued, with Kyra Cooney-Cross and Victoria Pelova creating chances.
Caitlin Foord‘s stunning long-distance goal in the 81st minute gave Arsenal a 2-0 cushion.
Reflecting on her goal, Foord said, “The press was really well from that side, and they just turned the ball over, I had space in front of me and thought I’d take a shot and it went in the back of the net.”
The final goal came in the 95th minute from Frida Maanum, ensuring a stylish finish to the game. Russo’s cross was set up by Kuhl, allowing Maanum to find the bottom right corner with precision.
After the game, Foord also highlighted the importance of the team’s first clean sheet of the season. “It’s massive for the defenders, but just the whole team in general. It’s something we really spoke about this week and really wanted to happen. I think it’s rewarding to see it happen, and I guess a baseline now as we want to try to keep moving forward.”
Manager Jonas Eidevall‘s tactical changes throughout the game, including the introduction of Steph Catley, Cloe Lacasse, and Maanum, were vital in maintaining Arsenal’s edge.
Eidevall expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, especially in defence, which led to their first league clean sheet. “It shows that we worked really well together as a unit,” he said.
Eidevall also commented on Russo’s deeper role and Beth Mead’s progress. “We definitely have lots of different opportunities in the way we set up. For this game, we thought that Brighton would be really aggressive in the way they pressed. We know that we needed ways to create space for ourselves,” he explained.
Arsenal’s focus now shifts to the upcoming Continental Tyres League Cup match against Southampton and the WSL fixture against West Ham United at Meadow Park.