Post-Match Report

Women: Arsenal 1-1 Bristol City - Report

Bristol City Women -

Mangata Pay UK Stadium, Meadow Park
Barclays Women's Super League
Barclays Women's Super League
  Arsenal Women
      
                  D. van de Donk (50)
            
   crest
Arsenal Women
D. van de Donk (50)
1 - 1
  Bristol City Women
      
              L. Hemp (30)
          
   crest
Bristol City Women
L. Hemp (30)

WHAT HAPPENED

We were held to a draw at Meadow Park, with Danielle van de Donk’s second-half strike cancelling out Lauren Hemp's opener.

The initial exchanges of the game were cagey, but we had the better of them. Just 10 minutes in, Jemma Rose came close to breaking the deadlock against her former club with a header on goal from a corner, but Bristol’s Sophie Baggaley was there to deny her.

A few minutes later we came close once again, when Vivianne Miedema nodded a ball down to Jordan Nobbs on the edge of the penalty area. The England midfielder took aim but struck the crossbar for the second game in a row.

Having survived the opening half-hour of pressure from Losa’s side, it was Bristol who opened the scoring through Hemp, who curled past Sari van Veenendaal from outside the box. 

In search of an equaliser, Jessica Samuelsson whipped a fine cross into Vivianne Miedema, but the Netherlands striker's header was saved by Baggaley.

Shortly after the interval we found our equaliser. Leah Williamson found Van de Donk on the left-hand side, who beat Baggaley with a low shot across goal.

With the scores now level, Van Veenendaal was forced into making an excellent save from point-blank range to deny Flo Allen. Following the stop, we countered well and Miedema cut inside to create a good chance on goal, only to see her shot stopped well by Baggaley again.

Soon after, Van Veenendaal was brought into action once more, this time clawing a Bristol effort which had struck the crossbar.

Late chances fell to Miedema and substitute Jodie Taylor, but neither could beat Baggaley, whose saves sealed a point for the visitors.

WHAT IT MEANS

The result means that we now lie in sixth, ahead of Bristol City and behind both Reading and Birmingham City on goal difference, while also trailing third-place Sunderland by two points.

WHAT'S NEXT

We host Women's Super League 2 side London Bees in the FA WSL Continental Tyres Cup. The Bees defeated Tottenham 2-1 in their last game, but lost their opening three fixtures of the season.