**A vibrant showing from the Gunners saw Renée Slegers’s side fly past Liverpool at Emirates Stadium.**
Eager to bounce back from a disappointing evening in Madrid during the week, Arsenal were back at their very best in N5. Caitlin Foord opened the floodgates with a well-timed tap in, before a brace of own goals from Jasmine Matthews left Liverpool wondering how they managed to knock the Gunners out of the FA Cup just weeks ago.
The silver screen moment came from Mariona Caldentey, who curled a stunning finish into the top left corner before the stroke of half time.
The victory in north London sees Arsenal keep their grip on second place in the Women’s Super League (WSL) standings, while Liverpool remain stagnant in sixth.
The Lineups
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**ARS:** van Domselaar; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Little, Mariona, Maanum; Kelly, Foord, Russo
**LIV:** Laws; Matthews, Clark, Fisk; Hinds, Holland, Nagano, Kerr, Smith; Kapocs, Roman Haug
The Action
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Chloe Kelly nearly blew the roof off Emirates Stadium in the opening minutes, taking her touch past Taylor Hinds before sending a thumping strike just centimetres over the bar.
A clever back-heel from Frida Maanum deep in the channel opened up Kelly, who played the ball into the feet of Alessia Russo. A strong touch and turn from the England striker allowed her to get a shot off, before an intervention from Jasmine Matthews sent the strike into the side netting.
Classy footwork from Russo teed Maanum up in the box, but the Norweigan sent her strike rattling into the left post before Russo’s attempt at sinking the remains was blocked by Matthews. Katie McCabe was fast to pick up the leftovers in the channel, before sending Olivia Smith the wrong way with a clever touch. The Irish captain’s curling cross met the head of Maanum, but Rachel Laws was ready to gather the ball on the line.
The deadlock was broken in the 28th minute as Kelly’s corner delivery was met by a scuffle inside of the area. Maanum’s touch landed in the path of Caitlin Foord, who made no mistake in poking home the opener in N5.
Liverpool’s woes worsened just moments later, as Arsenal streamed forward on the attack. Captain Kim Little dragged a cross back from the right side, before Matthews’s intervention rattled the back of the net for an own goal.
A cut-back from Foord nearly added a third before half time, but Maanum was met by a familiar foe as her strike rattled the post once more.
Mariona Caldentey makes football look easy. Eyeing up the goal from distance, the Spanish maestro curled her strike into the top left corner with ease. The perfect finish sent the Gunners flying into half time with a 3-0 lead.
[Embed from Getty Images](http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/2206399810)
Beth Mead put the game to bed after coming off the bench, as Leah Williamson placed a visionary ball through the right channel. The English forward carried possession into the area, before a deflection from Matthews sent her strike past Laws and into the back of the net.
After 308 days spent on the sidelines enduring her ACL recovery, Emirates Stadium erupted to welcome back Victoria Pelova.
Kelly was eager to write her name on the scoresheet as the game entered the final ten minutes, wheeling past her marker before firing an ambitious strike into the hands of Laws.
Arsenal Player Ratings (4-3-3)
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**Daphne van Domselaar – N/A –** Little to do!
**Emily Fox – 7/10 –** Looked slightly leggy, but still never caused a drop in her effort. Fox always gives 110% when on the pitch, and today was no different.
**Leah Williamson – 9/10 –** When called upon, Williamson was at her no-nonsense best. Denying any entry from Roman Haug, the England skipper held strong at the heart of the Gunners defence. A visionary assist to set up Mead for the fourth.
**Steph Catley – 8/10 –** Much like Williamson, Catley was strong at the back. A great outing from the Australian.
**Katie McCabe – 7/10 –** Managed Olivia Smith’s threat very well and generated some meaningful attacks. A yellow card saw her subbed from the game at half time, and she will now miss Arsenal’s WSL encounter with Crystal Palace.
**Kim Little – 9/10 –** A standout performance from the Gunners skipper. Little was Arsenal’s best performer against Real Madrid and that form was carried in to N5. Dictated the midfield and allowed Arsenal to maintain the control of the central areas. Her tenacity allowed Arsenal to double their advantage early on in the game.
**Mariona Caldentey – 9/10 –** Sensational performance from the Spanish maestro topped off with a world-class finish. Mariona is the glue in this Gunners team.
**Frida Maanum – 8/10 –** When Frida Maanum is switched on, the entire dynamic of this Arsenal team shifts. The midfield was on fire in the opening half, connecting play with composure and pure skill. Should have had an early brace but was denied by the post twice. Far more quiet in the second half.
**Chloe Kelly – 7/10 –** A strong showing from the City loanee. Kelly did the defensive work well, and her corner deliveries were near-perfect.
**Alessia Russo – 7/10 –** Started the game very well, but struggled to maintain the momentum. Still a bright showing, but didn’t have the impact she would have been hoping for. Did the off the ball work very well.
**Caitlin Foord – 9/10 –** An all-round performance from the Australian. In the right place at the right time to poke home the opener, but worked with great discipline to control the left channel. Dropped back into right back for the closing stages of the fixture and made no mistakes there.
**Jenna Nighswonger (46′ for McCabe) – 8/10 –** A really impressive feature from the American. Was given the job on Olivia Smith after McCabe’s half time exit and executed it very well. A strong attacking presence up the pitch, too.
**Beth Mead (65′ for Fox) – 8/10 –** Instant impact to give the Gunners their fourth goal of the evening. Vibrant showing from Mead after weeks of criticism.
**Lia Wälti (65′ for Little) – 7/10 –** Took over Little’s role as well as you would expect from a player of her experience. Reliable, as always.
**Victoria Pelova (75′ for Mariona) – N/A –** Welcome back!
**Katie Reid (87′ for Williamson) – N/A**