Match report
Here’s Suzy Wrack’s report from the Academy Stadium. Thanks for reading, see you next time.
And this is how the table now stands. Chelsea will go top if they win their game in hand. A big win for Brighton today over Everton, to move away from the relegation zone.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City Women | 14 | 29 | 36 |
| 2 | Chelsea Women | 13 | 34 | 35 |
| 3 | Arsenal Women | 14 | 26 | 33 |
| 4 | Man Utd Women | 12 | 11 | 19 |
| 5 | Everton Women | 12 | 1 | 18 |
| 6 | Reading Women | 13 | -5 | 18 |
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur Women | 13 | -10 | 16 |
| 8 | West Ham Women | 12 | -15 | 13 |
| 9 | Brighton & Hove Albion Women | 14 | -18 | 12 |
| 10 | Birmingham City Women | 11 | -15 | 7 |
| 11 | Liverpool FC Women | 12 | -9 | 6 |
| 12 | Bristol City Women | 12 | -29 | 6 |
Full-time scores in the WSL
Just four matches with Liverpool v Birmingham and Tottenham v Bristol City being postponed because of waterlogged pitches.
Brighton 1-0 Everton
Chelsea 8-0 West Ham
Man City 2-1 Arsenal
Reading 1-1 Manchester United
Six years, six trophies, here comes Nick Cushing.
The best six years of my career, and some of the best moments of my life.
It’s brilliant to win trophies, but it’s been an honour to coach these incredible people. But it’s onto the next chapter.
Cushing goes to the City fans, who show their appreciation. “Nick Cushing’s Barmy Army” comes the chant. He’s popped into the dressing room but will apparently come back out for a guard of honour!
Full-time: Manchester City 2-1 Arsenal
City cling on for a vital win in Nick Cushing’s final game in charge! They are a point ahead of Chelsea at the top of the table, with Arsenal now down in third.
90+7: Walsh has been announced as player of the match. Quietly effective in that City midfield.
90+6 min: Incredible work rate from Miedema, who tracks back a full 50 yards to win the ball back. But Arsenal are sloppy going forward, and give the ball away as the ball trickles out for a throw in.
90+4 min: Arsenal work it well to the edge of the City box, but Mead slips just as she shoots, and the ball slices harmlessly wide.
90+2 min: The Gunners look tired. They will drop to third if this result stands, with Chelsea now 7-0 up against West Ham. The Blues will go second and have a game in hand over leaders Man City, who will be top by a point.
90 min: Seven minutes added on here! Wow. We’ve had our fair share of bookings, and a couple of injuries, but that seems excessive. Plenty of time for Arsenal to get the equaliser!
89 min: Free-kick to Arsenal, 30 yards out. Van de Donk looks like she’s going for goal … but blazes it over.
88 min: Houghton has been superb, both with the ball and organising her defenders. A proper leader.
85 min: Big five minutes for both teams. This result could be pivotal in the title race. Arsenal pressing for an equaliser.
84 min: The bookings are stacking up now. McCabe sees yellow for an off-the-ball tackle.
82 min: Roord is booked for a nasty challenge on Hemp.
81 min: Arsenal yet to make a sub, I wonder how that will affect their last 10 minutes. They have a really small squad, and not many attacking options on the bench.
Updated
79 min: Think I missed a yellow card for Mead a few minutes ago. The Arsenal winger was penalised for handball.
78 min: Wullaert ghosts past Roord and releases Walsh, but an excellent block from McCabe keeps Arsenal in the game!
77 min: Chelsea, by the way, are now 6-0 up at home to West Ham. Beth England and Maren Mjelde have two goals apiece, with Sophie Ingle and Erin Cuthbert the other scorers. They are really the form team at the moment.
This piece is a couple of weeks old, but still well worth a read.
75 min: City’s fans are really getting behind their side now, who are hanging on a little here. Cushing looks nervous, muttering to himself on the City bench.
72 min: Arsenal come roaring back. Miedema goes alone this time, firing a fierce shot straight at Roebuck, with City lucky the rebound falls to one of their defenders on the penalty spot. Mead, this time popping up on the right wing, flashes another shot across goal, but nobody is there to tap it home!
71 min: Honestly, have no idea how this is not 2-2! Miedema rolls a wonderful ball across the six-yard box. Van de Donk is there, she just has to tap it in at the back post … but somehow a combination of Stokes and Roebuck keep the ball out. The ball cannons off both City players and trickles wide.
70 min: Bit of trivia, there has never been a WSL draw between these two sides.
68 min: Both teams are looking a little leggy now. The game is opening up, and there have been a few promising counter-attacks as both midfields get tired.
66 min: Chance for Arsenal! Van de Donk is a growing influence in the middle of midfield again, and she burst foward, feeding Mead, who curls a tempting cross low to the back post. Evans was lurking, but Stokes did exceptionally well to shepherd the ball away from danger.
62 min: City make the first change, Bremer off for Wullaert, who has three league goals this season. Straight swap, but City will have more mobility with the Belgian up top.
60 min: This is a proper game now. The tempo is raised and the challenges are flying in. Arsenal’s goalscorer, Van de Donk, is booked for a late tackle before City’s Stanway also gets a long overdue yellow for yet another challenge on Mead. Stanway smiles as she is shown the card.
GOAL! Manchester City 2-1 Arsenal (Van de Donk 58)
Out of nothing, Arsenal spring to life! Miedema finds some room on the right, plays a neat ball into the stride of Mead, who strikes it first time. She should really bury the chance, but Roebuck gets down quickly to save! The ball squirms loose and it is Van de Donk on hand to smash in the rebound. Stanway did her best to block it on the line but ended up colliding with the post instead. I think she’s OK. Arsenal back in it!
55 min: Just wide from Arsenal! Mead whips in a good corner from the left and Schnaderbeck rises highest, her header a yard wide.
53 min: Miedema just can’t get in the game. Wondering around City’s half like a lost dog at the moment.
51 min: Cushing is understandably delighted. What a way for the manager to go out, against one of City’s biggest rivals.
GOAL! Manchester City 2-0 Arsenal (Hemp 49)
Simple goal, but wonderfully taken! Walsh gets some room to get her head up and whips a ball to the back post. Maier is all at sea and gives Hemp way too much space in the box for a free header from 10 yards out. The ball loops up towards the top corner, clipping the underside of the bar on its way in. That’s Hemp’s fourth of the season!
Updated
48 min: City are lined up in two banks of four, with the two strikers, White and Bremer buzzing around. They seem to be happy for Arsenal to have the ball and try to break them down.
The teams are out again, with Miedema re-emerging for the second half. She seems to have got over that ankle niggle from the first half.
Half-time reading:
Paul MacInnes went to meet Spurs’ Giovani Lo Celso
Half-time: Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal
Evans looks like she’s got a problem with her ankle. Not ideal for Joe Montemurro, who has to reset his team, who have probably been the better side this half.
45 min: Two added minutes. Stanway again crashes late into Evans. How she is not on a yellow card is anyone’s guess.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal (Bremer 44)
Weir sends the ball into the area, it cannons off the knee of Bonner, falls to the feet of Bremer, who scuffs her finish into the corner! Zinsberger was completely helpless.
Updated
44 min: A questionable free-kick for City, with Roord penalised for what seemed like a perfectly good tackle. Weir is standing over the ball on the right touchline …
43 min: Scott gets a toe in to win possession back for City, and Walsh smashes one from 30 yards, just wide! That was travelling, and maybe ended up a couple of feet outside Zinsberger’s right-hand post.
41 min: Excellent defending from Stanway! The stand-in right back makes a crucial block to deny Van de Donk, and then dispossesses Mead who was driving into the area.
39 min: White and Scott combine down City’s right wing, the latter sending over a peach of a cross towards Bremer. The German risest above Williamson, but can only glance her header wide. Better from City, who are finally growing into this game.
38 min: The only other goal today to tell you about is between Reading and Manchester United. Lauren James has given United the lead – a win would cement their position in fourth.
36 min: Replays are showing that Miedema’s injury came from when Houghton accidentally stepped on the Arsenal striker’s heel. That’s a painful one, but shouldn’t keep her from seeing out the rest of this game.
34 min: All the play for Arsenal is coming down this left wing. But Mead’s cross is a poor one. You wonder if Miedema is fit, she hasn’t really been in the game at all here.
32 min: Concern for Arsenal here, as Miedema goes down clutching her ankle. I’m not sure what caused her to go down, but she doesn’t look comfortable. It looks like the Dutch international is going to carry on, but she is grimacing.
30 min: Mead earns a cheap free-kick to relieve some of the City pressure. It’s the third time that Stanway has been penalised, she’s probably one more foul away from a yellow card. Cushing comes off his bench to give Mead a bit of stick. Mead laughs it off and jokingly pushes the City manager back towards his bench.
28 min: Chance for City. A wonderful through ball finds Scott in acres of space on the right flank. Scott gallops into the area with that long stride, pushes to the byline and cuts back a dangerous ball to the six-yard box. Van de Donk just beats Bremer to the cut back, and slide tackles the ball clear to prevent what would have been a certain goal.
26 min: Hemp gets the better of McCabe for the first time on the right wing, but her pass to White is intercepted. That’s better from City.
24 min: Another terrible City clearance gifts the ball to Nobbs on the edge of the area. Nobbs shoots – did that hit Houghton’s arm?! – and the ball goes wide. There was surely a penalty shout there, but Arsenal’s players seemingly weren’t interested!
22 min: Schnaderbeck and Williamson are completely nullifying City at the back for Arsenal. The Austrian’s pace and Williamson’s ability to bring the ball out from the back means it is Arsenal who are dominating the game.
20 min: Arsenal spray a beautiful diagonal pass to Mead on the left wing, but Stanway does really well to sprint back and tackle her England team-mate before the Arsenal player could burst into the box.
16 min: This is really poor from City. They have no fluency going forward at all, and seem to be nervy at the back. You could see Arsenal’s forwards capitalising on a mistake if things carry on like this.
14 min: Worth noting that Chelsea are already 2-0 up against West Ham. Maren Mjelde and Beth England (again!) have scored for the Blues, who would go top if they win today, and this match ends in a draw. Remember Chelsea have one game in hand over City and Arsenal.
13 min: Poor play from Stokes, who smashes a clearance into Evans. The ball breaks to Mead, who fires a shot straight at Roebuck.
11 min: Chance for Nobbs! McCabe latches onto a ball down the left wing, beats Houghton to the ball, and squares it to Nobbs, and the Arsenal captain drives into the box. She tries to squeeze a shot inside the near post, but Nobbs’ left-footed shot has the sting taken off it by a challenge from Bonner.
8 min: Mead goes on another run down the left wing, and is brought to a halt by a clattering late tackle from Stanway. The City right back should really be booked for that, but gets away with one.
7 min: Lovely play from Mead who nutmegs Scott on the edge of her box and plays a lovely one-two with Miedema to get Arsenal on the counter-attack.
5 min: Chance for City! A short corner routine is well worked, a low delivery finding Bonner on the edge of the box but a dodgy connection only bobbles the ball to the back post. There is a half chance for White and Walsh as the ball pinballs around the penalty box, but Arsenal eventually clear.
4 min: Houghton is such a calming influence at the heart of that City defence. So often the ball comes out of the heavens and it is the City captain that is the one to get her team playing on the deck again.
2 min: Arsenal have started the better, with City unusually sloppy in possession. Scott of all people the guilty party there.
Nobbs is being made to wait as the City players have their pre-match huddle with Cushing in front of the dugout. Eventually Houghton makes her way to the centre-circle and there is a frosty-ish embrace between the captains.
The teams are out! An excellent crowd to see Cushing off at the Academy Stadium.
The most talented striker in the league, for my money. Sam Kerr is a bigger name and obviously a world-class player but Miedema just does things that get people off their seats.
Just @VivianneMiedema things 🔥
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) February 2, 2020
🏆 @BarclaysFAWSL pic.twitter.com/L82OZjEeIq
Off the pitch at least, Little has been active. This explains why the Arsenal captain has joined Fifpro’s new players’ union, a global players’ council.
Two WSL matches today have been called off: Liverpool’s game against Birmingham is off to a waterlogged pitch at Prenton Park, with the wet weather also claiming another match at the Hive, where Tottenham where meant to meet Bristol City.
Two big absences for Arsenal: captain Kim Little and Lia Wälti, both of whom started in the defeat against Chelsea. Two big losses for the Gunners there, with Leonie Maier, Lisa Evans and Beth Mead all coming into the side.
The teams!
Manchester City: Roebuck, Stanway, Houghton (c), Bonner, Stokes, Walsh, Weir, Scott, Hemp, White, Bremer.
Subs: Benameur, Coombs, Toland, Park, Wullaert, Bissell, Fidalgo.
Arsenal: Zinsberger, Maier, Williamson, Schnaderbeckm, McCabe, Roord, Nobbs, Van de Donk, Evans, Miedema, Mead
Subs: Peyraud-Magnin, Quinn, Beattie, Filis, Grant, Mace
Preamble
Simply put, this is the biggest game of the WSL season so far. The league leaders, Manchester City, meet the second-placed champions, Arsenal, with the two teams separated only by goal difference (one goal) at the top of the table.
If that isn’t enough spice for you, Arsenal beat City 2-1 in the League Cup semi-final just four days ago, knocking the holders out, and ensuring their place in the final, where they will meet Chelsea.
This will also be the final game for City’s manager, Nick Cushing, before his move to men’s side NYC FC on Monday. City’s players have been falling over themselves to pay tribute to Cushing, who Jill Scott called “a genius.” You can read more about what his departure might mean for City here, courtesy of Suzy Wrack.
It could well be a rip-roaring start to today’s game. In the last round of league games, City took the lead after just 34 seconds against Birmingham. Arsenal will be wary of a repeat, particularly as they conceded three goals in the opening 10 minutes against Chelsea – a comprehensive defeat that saw Sam Kerr net her first goal for the Blues, and meant Arsenal slipped to second.
We’ll have the team news with you shortly. Kick-off is at 2pm.
