The increasing popularity of women’s football is becoming more evident with each passing week. A packed crowd of 60,050, the second largest in Women’s Super League history, filled the sold-out Emirates Stadium to witness Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Tottenham.
The consistent growth of a dedicated and involved audience for Arsenal’s women’s team is the object of desire for the entire league, and there is a growing determination to perform well for these new supporters on the field.
Arsenal needed a victory over Tottenham in order to stay within three points of the top-ranked team, Manchester City, and to keep their chances of winning the Women’s Super League title alive. Despite facing a tough match, they managed to secure a win thanks to Alessia Russo’s goal in the second half.
The Arsenal team had three alterations for the 3-1 victory over Manchester United at home, prior to the international break. Manuela Zinsberger was once again the goalkeeper, while Sabrina D’Angelo was absent as she played for Canada in the Gold Cup. Forwards Caitlin Foord and Alessia Russo also made their comeback. However, Vivianne Miedema was not included in the team after undergoing a minor knee surgery, but Leah Williamson was fit enough to be a substitute.
Robert Vilahamn recently made three changes to the lineup. Bethany England was replaced as a starter and Becky Spencer returned as goalkeeper. Ash Neville and Jess Naz were also added to the starting XI after their team’s 2-1 loss to Aston Villa before the international break.
In the opening half, Arsenal controlled the majority of possession at 63%, but failed to capitalize on it as they were unable to break through Tottenham’s defensive stance.
In December, Martha Thomas’s fantastic breakaway goal led to Tottenham’s first victory against their rivals from north London, making it a familiar narrative at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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Despite dominating the first 45 minutes of the match and earning 10 corners, the Gunners only managed to have two shots on target, while Tottenham had three.
The visiting team created their first significant opportunity after 23 minutes, which was taken by the skilled England Under-23 player Naz. She moved in from the left and struck the ball off the crossbar. Arsenal struggled to score while Spurs gained momentum on counterattacks as time passed.
The strategy of Vilahamn’s team was publicly disclosed before the game began, as he stated: “We are aware of our ability to defeat them and we have a clear plan to do so. Our focus is on defending effectively and capitalizing on any opportunities we have.”
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After a frustrating first half, Arsenal quickly found their rhythm in the second and scored a goal in front of the clock end, giving them a boost in their pursuit of the title.
Kim Little, who was very unpredictable, made the pass that broke through the well-structured defensive line of Spurs. She sent the ball over to Beth Mead at the opposite end of the goal. Mead was taken down by Amanda Nildén, which could have resulted in a penalty, but in the end it didn’t matter because Russo was there to score with the loose ball.
With only 15 minutes remaining in the game, Arsenal had only managed one shot in the entire half. In an effort to revitalize and bring more fluidity to their game, coach Jonas Eidevall made three substitutions. Stina Blackstenius, Kyra Cooney-Cross, and debutante and longtime Arsenal fan, Williamson, came on to the pitch to the cheers of a full crowd at Emirates Stadium.
The final moments were filled with tension for the home team as Vilahamn’s squad knew they had a chance to earn a point. Tottenham increased their effort, but Arsenal managed to hold on and secure their seventh consecutive home victory.
Arsenal achieved a second consecutive sold-out event at their main stadium, setting a new record for top six Women’s Super League (WSL) attendance. The maximum capacity of 53,400 at the Etihad Stadium for the Premier League Manchester derby made it the largest football crowd of the weekend, only surpassed by the 61,339 spectators at the Tottenham men’s team match against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Source: theguardian.com
