We maintained our perfect start to the Women's Super League season on Sunday as we defeated Reading 1-0 at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
Coming in off the back of the international break with only two days of preparation, Jonas Eidevall's side dug deep and delivered a controlled team performance, despite missing key players Leah Williamson and Rafaelle Souza through injury.
What happened
We started strong on the night and had a golden opportunity to open the scoring inside 30 seconds, as Stina Blackstenius raced behind the Reading defence and saw her curling effort palmed away.
Chances for Beth Mead and Laura Wienroither followed with the latter coming agonisingly close from inside the six-yard area, firing just wide at full stretch before the lively Blackstenius gave us a deserved lead on the half-hour mark.
The Sweden international typically picks up her goals inside the penalty area, but this time she tried her luck from distance and powered home into the bottom left corner.
That was all for the first half and shortly after the restart, Blackstenius was causing yet more havoc, hitting the post twice in quick succession from two wide deliveries.
We were awarded a penalty on the hour mark following a handball from Mead’s cross, but our captain Kim Little, who is usually so reliable from 12 yards, saw her low effort saved by Jacqueline Burns.
A triple change took place shortly after with Jordan Nobbs, Lina Hurtig and Frida Maanum coming into play, and late on the latter made a vital block on the goal line to clear away a Reading header.
Blackstenius had another chance to double our lead with just five minutes remaining, breaking free down the left wing and firing just wide, but in the end, her opening goal was enough to secure all three points in a difficult game on the road.
What it means
After Manchester United's 4-0 win against Brighton & Hove Albion, they overtake us in the WSL table purely on goal difference.
For now, our focus returns to European football, as we head to France to take on the reigning Champions League winners Olympique Lyonnais on Wednesday October 19.
Team news
Starting XI: Zinsberger, Wienroither, Wubben-Moy, Catley, McCabe ('83), Little (C), Walti ('66), Miedema ('66), Mead, Blackstenius, Foord ('66)
Substitutes: Marckese, Beattie ('83), Maritz, Reid, Nobbs ('66), Maanum ('66), Iwabuchi, Hurtig ('66), Agyemang
Copyright 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
