Arsenal soared to a convincing 5-1 victory 0ver Leicester City at Emirates Stadium in the Women’s Super League this Tuesday evening.
Caitlin Foord got her name on the scoresheet inside of the opening 10 minutes, with Stina Blackstenius following suit before the 20th. Foord had her brace with barely 30 minutes on the clock, as the Foxes struggled to claw their way back. Beth Mead’s inspirational header provided the home side with their fourth, before Yuka Momiki pulled one back for Leicester and Victoria Pelova found the back of the net in response.
Renée Slegers made five changes to her lineup from the Gunners’ 4-0 triumph over Crystal Palace prior to the international break, with Chloe Kelly, Alessia Russo, and Daphne van Domselaar all absent from the squad. Meanwhile, Amandine Miquel’s side had hoped to pick up their first win away from home since January 2024 without key midfielder Ruby Mace.
The Lineups
ARS: Zinsberger; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Little, Mariona; Foord, Maanum, Mead; Blackstenius
LEI: Leitzig; Bott, Howard, Thibaud, Ale; Tierney, Cayman; Cain, Momiki, Chossenotte; O’Brien
The Action
Arsenal started this fixture on the front foot, with Mariona Caldentey and Foord linking up well to feed Blackstenius, whose cut-back to Frida Maanum was cleared by the Foxes’ backline. In quick succession, Sam Tierney’s speedy counterattack was fruitless as she was played offside by Steph Catley.
It was Foord who opened the scoring for the home side in the ninth minute, after the Foxes defence left Maanum far too much breathing room, and the Norwegian crossed a stellar ball in for Foord to volley past Janina Leitzig.
Blackstenius doubled Arsenal’s advantage in the 17th minute from close range after an innovative Foord picked out Beth Mead on the right, and the Lioness put it on a plate for the Swedish striker.
Foord wreaked havoc for the Foxes again just as the clock ticked over 3o minutes. The Australian fired her attempt in from the edge of the box, and the deflection it took off of centre-back Julie Thibaud was enough to see it into the back of the net. Blackstenius looked set to give Arsenal their fourth mere minutes later, but the ball she slotted through the legs of Leitzig was wide.
Almost 10 minutes in to the second half, Caldentey forced a colossal defensive header by Leicester captain Janice Cayman. Mead soon headed home captain Kim Little’s precise cross with conviction to give Arsenal their fourth in the 63rd minute.
The Foxes retaliated through Yuka Momiki, who flashed her low shot from distance beyond a stunned Manuela Zinsberger. Half-time substitute Victoria Pelova had her shooting boots on, though, striking a loose ball in the box home after Leicester failed to clear the scraps of a free kick well-delivered by Little.
The whistle rang out to call time on a persistently dominant, five star display from the Gunners, with the Foxes left disappointed on the road once again.
Arsenal Player Ratings
Manuela Zinsberger – 6/10 – The goalkeeper had very little to do in the first half, only needing to make one save. Caught off-guard by Momiki’s goal, but cannot necessarily be blamed.
Emily Fox – 8/10 – The right-back did not have heaps of work to do defensively, and as always, she can be found dominating the right flank and looking hungry for a chance to get involved in the goalscoring action.
Leah Williamson – 8/10 – With the Foxes struggling to attack, the centre-back sought to contribute in the buildup of attacking efforts for Arsenal, and looked eager to get on the end of Katie McCabe’s set piece delivery. Came off in the 82nd minute.
Steph Catley – 9/10 – Dealt really well with the threat of Yuka Momiki in the first half on the rare occasion that Leicester gained possession in their attacking half. Came off in the 67th minute.
Katie McCabe – 8/10 – A true club servicewoman, McCabe plays with conviction. She did her job without any nonsense, and remained more than dominant enough to help nullify any bright moments for the guests.
Kim Little – 9/10 – Back in very strong form after some niggling injuries in recent months, the captain remained in charge of the midfield tonight. Her cross to Mead for the Gunners’ fourth goal was exceptional, and her set piece delivery brought about the Gunners’ fifth of the night. Came off in the 67th minute.
Mariona Caldentey – 9/10 – Playing once again in the number eight role for Slegers, Caldentey was everywhere. Tracking back, being a real danger in the final third, she does it all.
Caitlin Foord – 9/10 – Foord’s vision catalysed both early goals for Arsenal, before she scored their third of the night. An outstanding talent for her club, Foord is integral to Arsenal’s mentality and moments of inspiring, direct play.
Frida Maanum – 8/10 – A really solid first half from Maanum playing in the 10. She got to grips with the defence’s weaknesses quickly and capitalised enough to bring Arsenal’s opening goal to fruition. Replaced by Victoria Pelova at half-time.
Beth Mead – 8/10 – Stepping in for Kelly, Mead’s cross to Blackstenius for the second goal was inch-perfect. The attacker’s creativity continue to impress as she fights for her spot in Slegers’ starting lineups, and her determined header gave Arsenal their deserved fourth of the evening. Mead did show a lapse in defensive discipline for Leicester’s goal, however.
Stina Blackstenius – 8/10 – The striker’s instinct was out on the prowl tonight. While she only got the one goal to her name, she was constantly on the hunt for more and equally eager to play through her teammates. That being said, she had plenty of chances and likely should have done more to put them away.
Substitutes
Victoria Pelova – 9/10 – Came on at half-time. Playing with confidence after suffering the dreaded ACL injury, Pelova made her mark on this game with a goal and an authoritative presence in the central area of the pitch. Came close to scoring a brace, with a powerful attempt stopped by Leitzig.
Lia Wälti – 8/10 – Came on at half-time. Served the midfield well, looking cohesive with the rest of the squad as Slegers’ side continue to assert their dominance on the stage of the Emirates.
Kyra Cooney-Cross – 8/10 – A crucial creative outlet for the Gunners, Cooney-Cross thrives on her ambition to play it forward. Came on in the 67th minute.
Katie Reid – 8/10 – A defender far wiser in footballer than her years suggest, Reid slots into a lineup brimming with exceptional talent seamlessly. Came on in the 67th minute.
Amanda Ilestedt – N/A – Not enough minutes to make a fair judgement.
The Halfway Line Player of the Match: Kim Little
A true captain’s display, Little does her job with no fuss. She dominates the midfield, controls possession with outstanding technique like a true professional, and with an experienced head leads her team to another emphatic victory.
