The first goal of the game came a mere 14 minutes in from a wonderful link-up by Australians Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley, Foord playing in a perfectly weighted pass to Catley who struck the ball with ferocity to hit the back of the net.
There were many yellow cards in this game, which is arguably to be expected when two historic clubs in the league meet. 8 yellows in total were shown by referee Rebecca Welch, with 5 going to Arsenal players. Welch also awarded Arsenal a penalty after a late challenge from City goalkeeper Khiara Keating which was taken by Kim Little. This was a rare instance in which Little’s penalty was saved as no one has scored more in the WSL.
Manchester City held possession (61%) for a significant portion of the game, with Chloe Kelly netting their first and only goal at 71 minutes. However, this did not stop us from taking the three points as Manchester City goalkeeper Khiara Keating made a costly mistake to gift Stina Blackstenius a goal 87 minutes in, who made an impact off the bench.
Beth Mead was also among the substitutions, and it is brilliant to see her continue to build up valuable minutes. Unfortunately, Vivianne Miedema did not grace the pitch, however, this may be due to stoppages towards the end of the second half.
An apparent medical emergency in the crowd resulted in the game coming to a standstill for ten minutes, this coupled with referee stoppages and injury treatments meant the clock read over 110 minutes by the time the final whistle had blown.
Congratulations are in order as Katie McCabe received her 200th cap for Arsenal at this game. The absolute legend of the club would have heard her famous chant consistently throughout the match.
The game was played at our usual home ground, Meadow Park in Borehamwood, with an attendance of 3,453. Chants were heard throughout the match from the Arsenal faithful creating a great atmosphere.
