Arsenal clinched a third consecutive league win as they beat Aston Villa 4-0 at the Emirates on Sunday.
Alessia Russo and Beth Mead’s goals gave the Gunners the advantage in the first half. Substitute Stina Blackstenius then extended Arsenal’s lead just before the 70th minute, before Russo scored her second at the death.
This win moves Renée Slegers’ side up to third in the Barclays Women’s Super League after Brighton’s 4-2 loss away to Chelsea. Aston Villa still sit in ninth, only one point above the relegation zone, with a crucial game with West Ham coming next weekend.
As it happened
Arsenal controlled the opening stages but struggled to create chances against a resilient Villa defence. In the 10th minute, Beth Mead thought she had given the home side the lead only for it to be ruled out for offside. Four minutes later, Caitlin Foord and Katie McCabe had good chances to open the scoring, but strong saves from ex-Arsenal goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo denied the pair.
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Their pressure eventually paid off in the 18th minute when Kyra Cooney-Cross’ free kick found Alessia Russo in the box, and her leaping header beat D’Angelo at her far post. Slegers’ side continued to dominate and had more chances to extend their lead, but D’Angelo kept Villa in the tie as the away side tried to break whenever they could.
As halftime approached, Arsenal continued to control possession and threaten Villa’s goal, and in the 39th minute Mead doubled their advantage. A break down the left found Frida Maanum inside the six-yard box; her effort beat D’Angelo but came off the post before Mead turned in the rebound.
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D’Angelo would deny Arsenal again before the break to limit Villa’s deficit, but the leaders continued to build on their excellent first-half display after the restart. Aston Villa had their first chance of the game in the 57th minute after breaking free of the Gunners’ defence, but Chasity Grant’s shot was well blocked to keep the clean sheet.
Villa continued to grow into the game but were unable to create any clear-cut chances as the Gunners tried to re-energise themselves in the final stages. Substitute Stina Blackstenius sealed the deal in the 70th minute, latching onto the end of McCabe’s cross, and from then on the three points were safe. The visitors tried to find a way back into the game and create chances until the end but found it hard against a resilient Gunners defence; Blackstenius looked likely to make it four in the 87th minute but, to D’Angelo’s delight, hit the post. Arsenal had the last laugh when Russo who rounded off the scoring in stoppage time, finishing from outside the box in style.
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Renée Slegers’ unbeaten run at the helm in North London continues, with her side sitting just four points behind second-placed Manchester City and level on goal difference.
The lineups
ARS: Van Domselaar, Fox, Williamson (C), Catley, Caldentey, Mead, McCabe, Maanum, Foord, Russo, Cooney-Cross
AVL: D’Angelo, Mayling, Tomas, Patten, Staniforth, Nobbs, Daly (C), Turner, Salmon, Hanson, Grant