A convincing win in the wake of their Adobe Women’s FA Cup defeat to Liverpool sees Arsenal rise to claim second place in the Barclays Women’s Super League table, only behind the title holders, Chelsea.
Alessia Russo put Arsenal ahead in the 24th minute with a right-footed strike, but it didn’t take long for Everton to retaliate, with Toni Payne’s shot opening the game up once more. Arsenal took control again in the second half, with a 63rd minute Maren Mjelde own goal that silenced the Everton threat before Russo’s second in the 90th minute cemented the victory for the _Gunners_.
Before the match got started, there was a minute of applause in memory of 10-year-old Poppy Atkinson, a budding footballer who tragically died while playing football on 5th March 2025.
Arsenal started confidently, with multiple chances on goal, but none troubled Courtney Brosnan. Everton did not hesitate to break forward, however, and had moments of promise, though they too failed to make anything out of their few chances.
The _Gunners_ kept pushing, playing the majority of the first twenty in Everton’s half, and eventually their persistence paid off. In the 24th minute, the efforts of Mariona Caldentey and Kim Little led to the opening goal, struck past Brosnan at the near post by Alessia Russo.
After going up 1-0, Arsenal largely kept up their pressure, aiming to double their lead. But in the 36th minute, Wälti was dispossessed, and against the run of play, the _Toffees_ brought the game back level. Buildup play by Kelly Gago and Katja Snoeijs led to a right-footed strike by Toni Payne, and the teams ended the first half one-all.
The second half began with an aggressive Arsenal press, with the visiting side having plenty of chances and set pieces that they lacked the composure to finish. But a mass of substitutions in the 61st minute revitalised their side, and in the 63rd minute, a strike from Caitlin Foord deflected off Mjelde into the Everton net, renewing the _Gunners_’ lead.
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Arsenal kept up the momentum after their second goal, with Brosnan forced to make multiple saves and Steph Catley hitting the crossbar twice in under a minute. Their morale took a hit in the 84th minute when defender Emily Fox went down injured and had to come off, but the side recovered well in her absence.
Everton’s Elise Stenevik gave the ball away to Beth Mead, who threaded a perfectly timed pass through to Russo for her second goal – another right-footed strike – in the 90th minute.
This win sends Arsenal to second place in the WSL table behind undefeated Chelsea, while Everton sit 20 points below the _Gunners_ in eighth place.
**EVE:** Brosnan; Mjelde, Fernández, Stenevik, Holmgaard; Vanhaevermaet, Ladd, Hayashi, Gago; Snoeijs; Payne
**ARS:** Zinsberger; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Little, Wälti; Kelly, Maanum, Caldentey; Russo