Arsenal Women secured a commanding 3-0 victory over West Ham United in the Barclays Women’s Super League, extending their unbeaten run to nine games.
The match, played on a brisk Sunday afternoon at Meadow Park, saw Arsenal looking to maintain their winning streak in pursuit of Chelsea at the top of the table.
The game opened with Arsenal showing early dominance. Frida Maanum scored a delightful chip in the opening two minutes, marking her second WSL goal in consecutive games.
The team continued to control the match, with Kyra Cooney-Cross and Alessia Russo making notable contributions, although Russo’s attempt on goal didn’t trouble the West Ham goalkeeper, Walsh.
Defensively, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Amanda Ilestedt were solid, effectively keeping West Ham’s efforts at bay.
The highlight of the first half was Beth Mead, who became only the second player in WSL history to reach 100 goal involvements, joining Vivianne Miedema in this achievement.
Mead scored her first goal back from injury with a stylish curl, and then added a second before half-time, assisted by Russo.
West Ham started the second half with more energy, but Arsenal’s defence, with Manuela Zinsberger in goal, who recorded her second consecutive clean sheet, remained unbreached.
Arsenal had opportunities to increase their lead through substitutes Miedema and Cloe Lacasse, but the score remained 3-0.
Looking ahead, Arsenal Women will face a top-of-the-table clash against Chelsea after a two-week international break. The much-anticipated fixture has already sold 50,000 tickets and will be held at Emirates Stadium.
Eidevall reflects on Arsenal Women’s victory
Arsenal Women’s 3-0 triumph over West Ham United was a display of excellent performance and character, according to head coach Jonas Eidevall.
Eidevall noted the team’s effective pressing and ball movement, which he felt were crucial in securing the win. He highlighted the importance of learning from past games where opponents brought high intensity, suggesting that these experiences positively influenced their performance against West Ham.
Mead’s return to form was a particular point of pride for Eidevall. He praised her hard work in recovering from a tough injury and emphasised the team spirit, noting the shared joy among players for Mead’s success.
Mead’s two goals in the match, her first since returning from injury, were seen as a testament to her dedication and the team’s support for her journey.
“I think you can see it’s a really close-knit and together playing group and you can see the joy that everyone has for Beth scoring that goal because each one is ready to work so hard to get success for the other person,” Eidevall said.
“And I think that’s the foundation of teamwork, that you want to work hard for each other. Beth has been working really hard and it’s a really tough injury to rehabilitate from, but we’re all delighted that she’s been back here on the pitch. She has been close in other games to get her first goal, And today it was really nice to see her get two.”
Kyra Cooney-Cross also received commendation from Eidevall. Acknowledging the challenge of transitioning from the Swedish league to the English league, Eidevall was delighted with how quickly Cooney-Cross has adapted and become a vital part of the team.
Eidevall concluded by discussing the team’s plans during the international break: “That’s what we always try to do here, to learn from the experiences.
“It’s a little odd this one here because we have only come back for such a short time together, we will have two days practice and then we’re going to play three games in six days, so we just need to be able to work really, really well during these final days that we have left before Christmas and make a final and strong push here so we can end the autumn season in the best possible way.”