A 3-0 scoreline flattered the Gunners as they took a gutsy win against Brighton at Broadfield Stadium.
Embed from Getty ImagesA 12th minute goal for Arsenal from Stina Blackstenius set the tone for the match and allowed Arsenal to dominate possession for the rest of the game, before Caitlin Foord scored in 80th minute to confirm the win for the Gunners, and Frida Maanum made the eased the scoreline with a third goal in the 95th minute.
Blackstenius’ shot was weak, but far enough away from Brighton keeper Sophie Baggaley to make the top left corner of the net bulge.
Embed from Getty ImagesBrighton pushed on after conceding, creating more chances, despite Arsenal’s clear dominance in possession.
The stadium was shocked to silence as Beth Mead, who was making her first start in the WSL for Arsenal since November 2022, was knocked to the ground by Jorelyn Carabali, who landed on her head. Luckily for Arsenal, Mead played on.
Arsenal were by far the more dominating side in the second half, creating a lot of chances, but they were scrappy in front of goal.
Despite their dominance, it wasn’t until the 80th minute that Foord’s long-shot put the game to bed.
Embed from Getty ImagesSubstitute Frida Maanum made the scoreline look comfortable with a goal in the 95th minute to embarrass the Seagulls and make it 3-0.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhen asked about the result, Brighton Manager Melissa Phillips said she was: “Disappointed with the way we conceded the goals, they were sloppy. Ultimately we didn’t ask enough questions in their box.”
Embed from Getty ImagesThis is the fourth away match in a row for Arsenal where the host stadium has had a record attendance.
Embed from Getty ImagesGunners’ Boss Jonas Eidevall described his away fan turnout as ‘huge’. The Swede said: “It’s huge for us, because the support is tremendous, it helps us so much.”
When asked about his backline’s performance, Eidevall said: “They worked really well together, it progressed better and better throughout the game.”
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Gunners defence showed major improvements from their last WSL game against Leicester where they had to come back from 2-0 down.
The 3-0 win takes Arsenal within three points of league-leaders Chelsea.
