Arsenal Women
Image credit: Getty Images
Arsenal Women came from behind to beat West Ham United 5-1 in one of their most commanding WSL performances so far this season. The European champions continued their perfect start to the campaign with a win that underlined their attacking flair and squad depth.
The match, held at Chigwell Construction Stadium, began poorly for Arsenal when goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar mishandled a cross just five minutes in, leading to an own goal and giving the Hammers a shock early advantage. Weather conditions may have contributed, but the error was nonetheless costly.
Arsenal restored parity in the 21st minute through Frida Maanum, who capitalised on a clever assist from Beth Mead. The equaliser set the tone for the rest of the match as Arsenal steadily took control.
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At the break, Stina Blackstenius was introduced, and she made an immediate impact in the second half. Her angled strike just past the hour mark put Arsenal ahead. Caitlin Foord then added a third around the 62-minute mark, heading home from a cross by Mariona Caldentey following a well-worked set piece from Katie McCabe.
Alessia Russo
Alessia Russo was awarded Player of the Match against West Ham (Image credit: Getty Images)
Substitute Olivia Smith helped seal the emphatic win with two late strikes from Alessia Russo. First, she set up Russo for a stunning long-range goal, then was fouled in the box minutes later, allowing Russo to coolly convert the resulting penalty.
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With this result, Arsenal moved to six points from two games, keeping up their momentum and signalling their intent in the title race. West Ham, on the other hand, struggled to regain composure after the early setback, failing to manage a shot on target for long stretches.
The performance was a statement of Arsenal’s resilience after conceding first, they showed both quality and character to dominate thereafter.
Arsenal now turn their attention to their next fixtures with confidence, while West Ham will need to regroup quickly to avoid being left behind in what promises to be a competitive WSL season.
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