Arsenal Women clinched a narrow 2-1 victory against Southampton in the Conti Cup, highlighted by Amanda Ilestedt’s dramatic last-minute goal.

The match at St Mary’s Stadium witnessed a record attendance of 13,438 fans.

Arsenal, having made nine changes to their starting XI, initially struggled to find their rhythm, with early attempts by Alessia Russo and Frida Maanum failing to challenge Southampton’s goalkeeper.

Despite Arsenal’s early dominance, it was Southampton who broke the deadlock in the 55th minute through Molly Pike.

However, Arsenal responded quickly, with Frida Maanum equalising shortly after.

The match then reverted to a slower pace, with neither team looking particularly likely to score again until deep into injury time when Ilestedt found the winner.

Arsenal coach Jonas Eidevall reflected on the performance, admitting, “I don’t think the performance was great from us. On the ball, we didn’t have enough movement and enough quality, and off the ball, we didn’t connect well enough to play defence.”

However, he appreciated the team’s reaction post-concession, noting, “What is nice and good to see is the reaction on the pitch after we concede their goal and how we really wanted to go for a win.”

Ilestedt, the match-winner, echoed Eidevall’s sentiments regarding the team’s performance. “We have a lot to improve in how we played today,” she said, acknowledging the team’s struggle to meet their usual standards. However, she also noted the significance of the victory, saying, “I’m happy with the points, but I think we can improve a lot.”

The win propels Arsenal into second place in Group D, closely trailing Tottenham Hotspur.

The team’s focus now shifts to their next Women’s Super League match against West Ham United and the crucial upcoming Conti Cup fixture against Spurs.