Arsenal’s Women team celebrated in the Women’s Super League this weekend, overcoming Everton with a 2-1 victory.
Arsenal Women achieved a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Everton in the Women’s Super League on Saturday, 20 January 2024.
The match, the first after the winter break, saw England international Beth Mead score the decisive goal just before the first-half stoppage time, securing the win for Arsenal.
Caitlin Foord had earlier given the Gunners the lead in the ninth minute.
Despite Everton striker Katja Snoeijs levelling for the visitors 15 minutes later, Arsenal managed to clinch the win, moving level on 25 points with league leaders Chelsea.
Post-match, Lia Walti, who earned the Player of the Match award for her excellent performance in midfield, shared her reflections on the game.
Walti commented on the team’s strong start and their creation of numerous chances, though she expressed a desire for more goals. She acknowledged the tight second half, where Arsenal were pushed back into their half.
She also discussed the significance of scoring right before half-time, which she considered “mentally good” for the team. Walti also noted the team’s need to focus more on the final pass and last third of the pitch, expressing confidence that the goalscoring efficiency would improve with time.
Walti commented: “We started really well in the game and we created a lot of chances. Unfortunately, we couldn’t score more than two and then it was a tight second half where we got pushed back really deep in our half.”
Arsenal’s Head Coach, Jonas Eidevall, also expressed his views on the team’s performance, particularly praising the first 70 minutes. “I’m really happy with the first 70 minutes of the game. I think we moved the ball very well… We pressed good, we pressed in a collective way,” Eidevall said. He, however, expressed some dissatisfaction with the team’s efficiency in front of the goal and the last 15 minutes of the match.
Eidevall further lauded Lia Walti’s performance, noting her pivotal role in midfield and her comfort on the ball, which was crucial against Everton’s pressing style.
He also commented on Emily Fox’s integration into the team, crediting the club’s onboarding process for her smooth transition.
“It’s been really nice. But I think that’s a joint effort. It’s her doing a tremendous job with that, but it’s also a lot of other people making that easier for her,” he added.