In a landmark day for women’s football, Arsenal Women’s team showcased their title credentials with a commanding 3-1 victory over Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, 17 February 2023, a scoreline that does not accurately reflect the balance of play.

The match, which was not just a testament to Arsenal’s on-pitch excellence but also a celebration of the sport’s growing appeal, saw a record-breaking attendance of 60,160 spectators, setting a new FA WSL record.

Arsenal started the match without key defender Leah Williamson, sidelined with a minor hamstring issue, and Amanda Illstedt, who was out due to illness. Vivianne Miedema’s return to the bench, after missing the last two matches with a knee problem, was a welcome boost for the team.

The match began on a tense note for Arsenal, with goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo having a couple of close calls in the opening minutes. However, these early jitters did not unsettle the Gunners for long. By the 10-minute mark, Arsenal had taken the lead through a Katie McCabe corner that found its way into the net off a United defender, setting the tone for the rest of the match.

Arsenal dominated the first half, doubling their lead with a brilliantly executed short free-kick that Cloe Lacasse converted with a precise header. The team’s confidence was up, and before the half-time whistle, Kim Little extended the lead to three from the penalty spot, shaking off her previous penalty misses with a cool finish that sent Mary Earps the wrong way.

The second half saw Manchester United attempting to claw a way back into the game, but Arsenal’s supremacy was too much. Despite some promising moments for United, it was Arsenal who continued to create the better chances, with Beth Mead striking the post in a particularly notable effort and Earps saving her team on multiple occasions.

Substitutions in the second half saw fresh legs on the field for Arsenal, including former United star Alessia Russo and the return of Miedema, but the scoreline remained unchanged until United managed a consolation goal in the dying moments of the match.

Arsenal women v Manchester United women stats

The statistics underscore Arsenal’s dominance, with the Gunners enjoying the slight edge in ball possession (51%) and significantly outshooting United with 16 attempts to nine. Arsenal’s sharpness in attack was evident, with more shots on target and more accurate passes, reflecting their control of the game.

This win is not just a triumph in terms of points gained but also a historic moment for Arsenal Women and the FA WSL. The sell-out crowd at the Emirates signifies a monumental shift in the visibility and popularity of women’s football, with Arsenal at the heart of this transformation, as usual.

Arsenal women lineup vs Manchester United

Arsenal’s starting lineup: D’Angelo, Catley, Wubben-Moy, Codina, McCabe, Walti, Pelova, Lacasse, Little, Mead, Blackstenius.

Bench: Zinsberger, Bouhaddi, Foord, Maanum, Cooney-Cross, Miedema, Russo, Lia, Reid.

Record-breaking Emirates crowd

Arsenal women set a new FA WSL record by selling out The Emirates for Saturday’s game against Manchester United with 60,160 in attendance.

Before this game, the top 5 attendance records looked like this:

• Arsenal-Chelsea, 10 December 2023: 59,042 spectators
• Arsenal-Liverpool, 1 October 2023: 54,115
• Arsenal-Tottenham, 24 September 2022: 47,367
• Arsenal-Chelsea, 15 January 2023: 46,881
• Manchester City-Manchester United, 11 December 2022: 44,259

With this game, Arsenal now claim all top five slots in the table.

Chelsea 0 v Manchester City 1 – 16/02/24

On Friday night, Manchester City reignited the Women’s Super League title race, ending Chelsea’s impressive 22-game unbeaten home run. Bunny Shaw’s 14th-minute goal, sparked by an Erin Cuthbert error, proved decisive. Jess Park capitalised on the loose ball, driving forward to lay off the assist for Shaw’s clinical finish.

Chelsea battled back against a deserving City side but faced further frustration when referee Abigail Byrne denied them a potential first-half penalty for what appeared to be an Alex Greenwood trip on Mayra Ramirez.

A late chance to equalise arose for Chelsea, but Jelena Cankovic’s close-range effort was superbly saved by Khiara Keating in the City goal.

After Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Manchester United on Saturday, Jonas Eidevall’s side are now just three points off the leaders.