Joe Montemurro was in good spirits after Arsenal provided some much needed Christmas cheer for the club’s fans with a 4-0 win against Everton in the team’s final Women’s Super League game of the year.
“We’ve always got to save the club, us girls, don’t we?” the manager said with a laugh when asked if he was glad to give something to fans after Arsenal men’s 2-1 defeat against the same opponents on Saturday. “We love representing the club, and for us it’s more important that we represent the club in class, in style and with the integrity it deserves.”
While far from the dire position of Mikel Arteta’s side, Montemurro’s team have their own pressures, having collected just one point from a possible nine in their games against the other teams in the top four and having failed to beat a big rival in 14 months.
The three points against fifth‑placed Everton give the Gunners some much needed breathing space as they head into the winter break second in the WSL, albeit having played two games more than Chelsea in third and one more than City in fourth.
The team’s consistency against those outside the top current top four is staggering: Montemurro’s side have not lost since a 3-0 defeat against Birmingham in April 2018.
Arsenal’s Australian manager explained his decision to begin the game with the WSL and Dutch record goalscorer Vivianne Miedema on the bench before the game. “We’ve got 22 players that all contribute and it was a choice today, I’m sure she’ll make a contribution,” he said, calming any fears of injury.
Injuries have hampered his ability to rotate and make tactical adjustments, meaning the opportunity to rest for some of Arsenal’s biggest stars has been rare. “[What is] frustrating is you build a team to play a certain way and have a certain depth but it becomes very difficult when options are limited through injuries. That’s no excuse, that happens.”
Any concerns that may have arisen from the manager’s decision not to start with Miedema were quickly quashed by an explosive start from the home side, who darted passes around the edge of the Everton box and, in the fourth minute, Jill Roord held off the challenge from Maéva Clemaron, fed Beth Mead out wide and the England forward’s cross was prodded in by Jordan Nobbs.
Manchester United are four points clear at the top of table as the Women's Super League heads into a winter break after a 6-1 defeat of winless Bristol City.
Two goals each from Leah Galton and the USA World Cup winner Tobin Heath, a header from the centre-back Millie Turner and a strike from Jess Sigsworth gave Casey Stoney's side a good holiday send-off. Ebony Salmon, who scored the only goal the last time these teams met in January, pulled one back with United 4-0 up.
Two first-half goals from the Welsh midfielder Jess Fishlock either side of an Inessa Kaagman penalty and an injury-time effort from Rachel Rowe gave Reading a 3-1 win against Brighton.
Elsewhere, Birmingham's game agains Manchester City was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch. While Chelsea's London derby against Tottenham and West Ham's tie with Aston Villa were postponed due to Covid outbreaks in the Chelsea squad and West Ham's training ground. Suzanne Wrack
On 10 minutes Arsenal doubled their lead. Centre-back Leah Williamson’s long ball was collected by Roord, who raced behind the Everton centre-backs, slipped the ball to Caitlin Foord, and the Australian coolly side-footed in her eighth goal of the season.
In the second half two goals in two minutes ended any chance of a fightback.
First the Everton goalkeeper, Sandy MacIver, mistimed her punch when attempting to clear a Katie McCabe corner and Jen Beattie nodded in at the far post (her first goal since she revealed she had breast cancer, having being diagnosed in October, and her second of the season, the first coming against Brighton, shortly after that cancer diagnosis).
Then a crossfield ball from Roord to Mead set the England forward free and she cut inside, past Poppy Pattinson, before curling the ball into the corner with her left foot.
With four goalscorers and the second-half substitute Miedema not one of them, this was a statement from a team whose mentality was questioned by their manager last week after a last-gasp goal denied them a point at Manchester City.
