Arsenal’s dominance in the League Cup continued as they won 4-0 against Brighton on Wednesday night at the Broadfield Stadium. Mariona Caldentey was seemingly involved in every goal, recording a goal and a pair of assists off the bench.
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter failing to capitalize on their dominance early on, the Gunners scored three goals in five minutes midway through the second half effectively putting the tie away.
In the buildup to the first goal Brighton attempted to play out of the back but goalkeeper Melina Loeck passed it straight to Caldentey at the edge of the box. She then drove forward and laid it off to Frida Maanum for a simple tap in putting the Gunners up 1-0 at the 65’ minute mark.
Embed from Getty ImagesJust three minutes later, Caldentey played an incisive ball into the box for Alessia Russo who then put in a cross along the ground which found Katie McCabe for another simple finish from close range.
Embed from Getty ImagesArsenal’s ruthlessness continued in the 70th minute when Caldentey laid the ball off for Kyra Cooney-Cross at the edge of the box on the left-hand side. She then struck the ball first time with her right foot and found the top right corner giving the Gunners their third goal in quick succession.
Embed from Getty ImagesTo make matters worse for the Seagulls, Arsenal scored their 4th goal of the match as Caldentey scored from just outside the box after a Brighton defender headed the ball away to clear the danger. The Spanish midfielder calmly lofted the ball over a falling Brighton keeper and found the bottom left corner.