**Arsenal claim all three points in south London after brushing past Crystal Palace in the Women’s Super League (WSL).**
A strong showing from Chloe Kelly set sunny Sutton alight after her clever cross provided Beth Mead with the opening goal. The England forward gave Arsenal a third after her cross forced a deflection from Crystal Palace captain Allyson Swaby to put the game to bed.
Alessia Russo was back on the scoresheet after her Player of the Match performance in the UEFA Women’s Champions League against Real Madrid. Beth Mead put the finishing touches on a dominant performance, floating a long ball into the top corner in the 90th minute.
The Lineups
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**CRY:** Yãnez; Sharpe, Swaby, Nouwen, Woodham; Nolan, Cato, Arthur; Stengel; Larkin, Weerdan
**ARS:** van Domselaar; Fox, Williamson, Catley, Nighswonger; Wälti, Mariona, Maanum; Mead, Kelly, Russo
The Action
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A well-timed challenge from Alessia Russo regained possession in the middle of the pitch, before Beth Mead spotted Shae Yanez off of her line. Despite her best efforts, the Arsenal forward sent her strike just over the crossbar from range.
The Gunners broke the deadlock in the 14th minute as Chloe Kelly streamed towards the by-line before sending an enticing cross toward the top of the box. Mead pulled out the theatrics with a first-time volley directed straight into the bottom right corner to give Arsenal the lead.
Just as Crystal Palace looked to settle their own nerves, Mariona Caldentey picked My Cato’s pocket on the edge of the attacking area. A clever touch from Russo opened herself up to fire home a left-footed strike into the bottom corner.
The Eagles were eager to get one back just minutes later, as Lily Woodham fired in a corner. Centre back Aniek Nouwen met the ball well, but fired her volley just high of the bar.
Kelly was hungry for a goal of her own, driving possession through the midfield before sending an ambitious strike just wide of the target from distance.
Katie Stengel was awarded a strong chance to halve the deficit before the stroke of half time, but made a meal of her chance right in front of goal. The forward’s attempt at a top-corner curler was sent far over the bar and into the back stand.
The returning Victoria Pelova searched to make an immediate impact as the game rolled into the final 30 minutes, cutting back her cross from the byline to be met by Russo. A clutter of limbs saw the ball fly behind for a corner, which didn’t transpire into anything of merit for the Gunners.
Kelly put the game to bed in the 77th minue as the forward beat Indiah-Paige Riley for pace in the left channel. Kelly’s cross was intercepted by Swaby, who deflected the ball into the back of her own net to give the Gunners a third goal for the afternoon.
Mead put the game to bed in the dying minutes as she picked up possession in the channel before sending a cross-shot hybrid into the top corner.
The victory in south London solidifies Arsenal’s spot in second, while a struggling Palace outfit sink further into the relegation zone.
Arsenal Player Ratings (4-3-3)
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**Daphne van Domselaar – 8/10 –** Little to do as Crystal Palace registered zero shots on target.
**Emily Fox – 8/10 –** Was the subject to the most Palace heat as Fox continued to draw many fouls as the game progressed. Did well to remain level headed and had a very strong second half when awarded more time to push forward.
**Leah Williamson – 8/10 –** Authoritative and strong showing from the defender, made no mistakes and her distribution was strong.
**Steph Catley – 8/10 –** Faultless, a strong showing much like Williamson.
**Jenna Nighswonger – 9/10 –** A really exciting display from Nighswonger in her first WSL start for the club. Used her pace to help Arsenal going forward, creating two meaningful chances in the second half. Her time spent as a midfielder shone through the performance as she began to feel comfortable enough to invert into the central areas and overload the Palace defence.
**Lia Wälti – 7/10 –** The double pivot of herself and Mariona Caldentey seemed slightly unstable, but Palace failed to threaten regardless. Played her role well.
**Mariona Caldentey – 7/10 –** Pressure acts allowed Arsenal to gain control of the central areas. Her tenacity awarded the Gunners their second goal. Always impressive going forward and was given more space to do so in the second half.
**Frida Maanum – 7/10 –** A really strong opening 20 minutes allowed Arsenal to threaten going forward. Less impactful as the game drew on and wasted possession a few times, but nothing drastic.
**Beth Mead – 9/10 –** A stellar finish to open the scoring and grab her 50th WSL goal for the club. Her defensive work may go unnoticed, but Mead’s discipline to drop back certainly helped Fox on more than one occasion. A lovely finish in the dying moments to top off a strong showing in Sutton.
**Alessia Russo – 9/10 –** Russo again, ole ole. The Arsenal striker can’t stop scoring, now just two goals shy of the WSL golden boot holder Bunny Shaw. Russo is becoming the ruthless box nine that Arsenal fans have been waiting for, and it is a scary sight for opposition fans.
**Chloe Kelly – 9/10 –** A very intelligent and disciplined display from the forward. Kelly knows when it is appropriate to make the run in and behind the channel, or drop back and receive the ball at her feet. A brilliant weak foot assist for the opener showcased her versatility, and another bright display of footwork to provide Arsenal the third goal. The highlight of her game may well have been her tenacity in defence, aiding Arsenal in transition on multiple occasions.
**Victoria Pelova (61′ for Maanum) – 7/10 –** Back to where she belongs, a strong performance from Pelova. The midfielder was eager to press the Palace defence despite the scoreline.
**Kim Little (61′ for Wälti) – 7/10 –**Settled the Arsenal midfield and controlled the tempo as she does best.
**Rosa Kafaji (79′ for Kelly) – N/A**
**Kyra Cooney-Cross (79′ for Mariona) – N/A**
**Katie Reid (83′ for Williamson) – N/A**
_The Halfway Line_ Player of the Match – Chloe Kelly
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