Full time: Arsenal 4-0 Everton
Peep peep! Arsenal move up to second after a comfortable victory over Everton. Vivianne Miedema was rested but Arsenal got on just fine without her: Jordan Nobbs and Caitlin Foord scored in the first 10 minutes, and Jill Beattie and Beth Mead finished Everton off in the second half. Mead’s goal was a beauty.
That’s it for today’s blog. Thanks for your company; bye!
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90 min van de Donk breaks into space on the right and picks out Little, whose first-time shot hits her teammate Miedema and deflects wide. I don’t think it was on target anyway.
88 min: Boye-Hlorkah hits the bar! Everton were close to a consolation goal there. Wold played a one-two on the right and cut the ball back to Boye-Hlorkah on the edge of the area. She shifted the ball infield, onto her left foot, and cracked a rising drive that beat Williams and thumped off the top of the bar.
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86 min Arsenal have a bit of a break after this game - their next match is at Aston Villa on 9 January. Everton play Man Utd the following day.
82 min Evans feeds a pass into Miedema, who is challenged on the edge of the area by Graham. The ball runs through to Little, whose close-range shot is brilliantly saved by MacIver.
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80 min Another change for Arsenal: Leonie Maier replaces Katie McCabe at left-back.
77 min The match is petering out. Everton were playing quite well at 2-0 but those two quick goals finished them off.
74 min Two changes for Everton as well. Molly Pike and Chantel Boye-Hlorkah replace Hayley Raso and Nicoline Sorensen.
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72 min A double change for Arsenal: Danielle van de Donk and some unknown hopeful called Vivianne Miedema replace Jill Roord and Caitlin Foord.
68 min Almost a fifth goal for Arsenal. Mead slides a lovely through pass to Foord, who dances round the outrushing MacIver on the edge of the area. The touch takes her a little wide, though, and MacIver has time to get back and block Foord’s shot. Good save.
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64 min It has finished Manchester United 6-1 Bristol City at Leith Sports Village. Leah Galton and Tobin Heath got two goals each for the leaders, who will be four points clear of second-placed Arsenal when this game finishes.
GOAL! Arsenal 4-0 Everton (Mead 63)
A brilliant goal from Beth Mead! She ran onto a long pass forward from Nobbs, turned smoothly inside Pattinson and curled an emphatic shot into the net from the edge of the area.
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61 min An Arsenal change: Malin Gut off, Lia Walti on.
GOAL! Arsenal 3-0 Everton (Beattie 61)
Arsenal score from the corner! McCabe drove it deep, MacIver punched fresh air and Beattie headed into an empty net from five yards. It was a bad mistake from the usually excellent MacIver, but a lovely moment for Jen Beattie.
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60 min: Good save from MacIver! Roord almost wrapped it up for Arsenal. Finnigan was dispossessed on the edge of the area by Nobbs, who pirouetted smartly and teed up Roord. Her low shot was pushed behind by MacIver.
58 min Raso floats a good ball to find Clinton on the right of the area. Her chest control is a fraction too heavy, which allows McCabe to clear. Everton have been much better in the second half.
56 min Tobin Heath’s second goal has made it Man Utd 6-1 Bristol City.
55 min Beattie loses the ball in her own area to Raso, but her cross goes straight into the arms of Williams.
55 min Roord breaks into the area on the right and drives a dangerous low cross that is booted away at the near post. Arsenal have caused lots of problems with low crosses today.
51 min Everton have made a decent start to the second half, albeit without creating any chances. Meantime, Tobin Heath has made it Man Utd 5-1 Bristol City.
48 min If it stays like this Arsenal will move above Chelsea into second, four points behind Manchester United. Chelsea do have two games in hand though.
47 min “What a tonic for anyone who cares about Arsenal Football Club and for good football,” says Charles Antaki. “Calmness, progressivity, composure and goals. And Viv Miedema in reserve. Required watching for those requiring an injection of faith, i.e. all Arsenal fans.”
46 min Peep peep!
Everton have made a half-time change: Poppy Pattinson replaces Dan Turner at left back.
Another goal at Leigh Sports Village - but it’s gone to Bristol City. Ebony Salmon has made it Man Utd 4-1 Bristol City.
Manchester United are 4-0 up against Bristol City. Leah Galton has got her second, and has about half an hour to complete a hat-trick.
Half time: Arsenal 2-0 Everton
Peep peep! That was a bit of a stroll for Arsenal: Jordan Nobbs and Caitlin Foord scored simple goals in the first 10 minutes, and both missed decent chances to make it 3-0. Everton have been outplayed.
45 min Two minutes of added time. Willie Kirk has work to do at half-time.
41 min The leaders Manchester United are cruising to victory over Bristol City: Jessica Sigsworth has put them 3-0 up.
40 min Everton are working extremely hard, and their attitude is beyond reproach, but Arsenal have had a bit too much class.
38 min Another chance for Arsenal. McCabe’s excellent corner from the left is headed over by Beattie at the far post.
34 min After a nice passing move, Mead shoots well wide from long range. Arsenal are very comfortable.
31 min The corner is fired into Nobbs, unmarked on the edge of the area, but she miscontrols it. That was a chance.
30 min Mead’s shot deflects behind for a corner, Arsenal’s first of the game.
27 min Little is shoved off the ball in midfield by Clemaron, who finds Raso in a bit of space. She runs straight at the heart of the defence before being classily dispossessed by Beattie.
25 min Beattie has had a concussion test and is going to continue.
22 min: Chance for Everton! Out of nothing, Everton almost get one back. Sorensen had a shot blocked by the legs of Williams at the near post. Williamson picked up the loose ball and tried to run it out of danger but instead gave it straight to Raso, whose snapshot was deflected just wide. Raso’s followthrough took her into the sliding Jen Beattie, who is down and will need treatment.
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19 min This is too easy for Arsenal. Evans beats Turner on the right and cuts the ball back to Roord, whose shot is blocked.
Manchester United 2-0 Bristol City is the half-time score at Leigh Sports Village. Millie Turner scored United’s second in injury time.
16 min Foord misses a good chance to make it 3-0, lofting over the bar from 15 yards after a good pass from Nobbs.
15 min Everton have had much more of the ball since going 2-0 down, though it’s all been in front of the Arsenal defence.
12 min That goal was a rhymester’s dream. Made by Roord, scored by Foord. I’ll let you do the rest.
GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Everton (Foord 10)
Two-nil! Williamson drives a fine pass down the inside-right channel to release Roord. She looks up and slides an excellent low cross to Foord a simple chance at the far post.
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8 min Arsenal have started with impressive intensity and are well on top.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Everton (Nobbs 4)
The perfect start for Arsenal! Jordan Nobbs, back in the side after injury, taps home from close range after excellent play from Mead. She skinned Turner on the right wing and hammered a low cross into the six-yard box; Nobbs couldn’t miss.
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4 min McCabe’s low cross from the left leads to a scramble in the Everton area, during which Nobbs and Roord both have shots blocked.
3 min Nothing to report so far. You’re welcome.
1 min Peep peep! Everton, in their yellow away strip, kick off from left to right. Arsenal are in red and white.
It’s almost time for kick-off. Meanwhile, Leah Galton has put Man Utd 1-0 up against Bristol City.
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The leaders Manchester United are playing the bottom club Bristol City at Leigh Sports Village. After 15 minutes, it’s still 0-0.
Pre-match reading
Team news
Vivianne Miedema is on the Arsenal bench, presumably rested. Jordan Nobbs replaces her. Hayden Raso returns to the Everton team in place of Simone Magill.
Arsenal (4-3-3) Williams; Evans, Williamson, Beattie, McCabe; Gut, Little, Roord; Mead, Foord, Nobbs.
Substitutes: Zinsberger, Stenson, Maier, Walti, van de Donk, Miedema.
Everton (4-D-2) MacIver; Wold, Finnigan, Egurrola, Turner; Clemaron; Clinton, Christiansen; Graham; Sorensen, Raso.
Substitutes: Karpela, Boye-Hlarkah, Magill, Stringer, Pik, Pattinson.
Referee Helen Conley.
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Arsenal v Everton from Meadow Park. It’s a chance for Arsenal to bounce back from that frustrating defeat at Manchester City last weekend. They have picked up only one point from three games against their fellow title challengers, a recurring problem for Joe Montemurro’s side, but at least they have been ruthless against the rest: six games, six wins, 32 (T-H-I-R-T-Y-T-etc) goals.
Everton, the best of the rest, will be a tougher challenge, but Arsenal will expect to win. And they need to: they are already four points behind Manchester United (and one behind Chelsea having played a game more). If they are to win the league, they probably need to win every game against the teams outside the top four.
Kick off 12.30pm.
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