Arsenal defeated Crystal Palace 2-0 in front of a record crowd in the Subway Women’s League Cup at the VBS Community Stadium on Sunday.
Arsenal‘s goals came from Laia Codina and Stina Blackstenius. In front of a crowd of 3,040 those goals proved the difference against Palace in a match that saw the WSL 2 side compete well with the European champions.
Crystal Palace came into this one on their best form of the season so far guided by former Rangers head coach Jo Potter. Both Arsenal and Palace had five wins from their last five matches in all competitions. Palace’s run included a spectacular 3-0 win against WSL opposition Leicester City to book their place in Sunday’s quarter final against Arsenal. Both sides played on Wednesday night and each team took valuable victories on the road. Palace fought hard for victory away at promotion rivals Bristol City in the WSL 2, while Arsenal beat OH Leuven in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Renée Slegers had confirmed pre-match that Jenna Nighswonger would be missing from the side. Victoria Pelova was facing a race to be fit after recovering from an illness but she was fit enough to start. The big team news for Arsenal saw their vice captain Leah Williamson return to the starting line up for the first time since the UEFA EURO 2025 final. She was joined at centre back by Spaniard Laia Codina. Stina Blackstenius started having scored two hat tricks in her past two League Cup starts and eleven in her twelve appearances in the competition. Kim Little, Steph Catley, Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo all received a rest and each started on the bench.
Palace made a number of changes from their mid-week action. Elise Hughes and Jamie-Napier and dropped to the bench with Irish duo Hayley Nolan and Abbie Larkin in from the start. The latter of which recovered from an illness which meant she was unable to start against Bristol City midweek.
The Lineups
CRY: Yañez; Sharpe, Swaby, Everett, Nolan, Weerden; Hopcroft, Cato, Blanchard, Howat; Larkin
ARS: Borbe; Fox, Williamson, Codina, McCabe; Cooney-Cross, Pelova, Maanum; Smith, Foord, Blackstenius
The Action
It was the visiting side who came closest early on. Caitlin Foord directed a shot goal wards from point blank range after a good delivery from Kyra Cooney-Cross. The ball bounced off the post and out, even if the offside flag would have spared Palace’s blushes regardless. Shortly after Frida Maanum saw her deflected effort flash wide of the post. Palace had chances of their own, a free kick from Annabel Blanchard shaved the crossbar. That was before Frida Maanum once again came close to taking the lead for Arsenal from just inside the Palace box. However, Shae Yañez was equal to the effort and denied her with a magnificent stop. However it would prove only a stay of execution for Palace. From the resulting corner whipped in by Cooney-Cross again, Laia Codina’s powerful header found the back of the Palace next and put Arsenal ahead.
The Eagles almost provided an instant riposte, Ashleigh Weerden’s direct running found space in behind Fox. Weerden pulled the ball back to Larkin whose zipped effort from just outside the six yard box rattled the post with Anneke Borbe beaten. Not to be deterred Larkin took aim from outside the box minutes later and but for an exceptional save from Borbe would have levelled the scores. Arsenal almost doubled their lead after Blackstenius rounded Yañez, but the Allyson Swaby spared her blushes with excellent covering play. On the resulting break Palace looked capable of springing a surprise, a ball over the top found Larkin with about ten minutes to play in the first half, she bore down on goal but her effort rattled the bar.
With five minutes remaining in the half, Arsenal looked to gain more control over a transitional match, slowing the ball down in possession. The last action of the first half saw a free kick whipped into the box by Katie McCabe met by the head of Williamson whose header bounced off the top of the net.
After half time it was Crystal Palace who emerged from the dressing room with the most intent. The Eagles went close twice before the 50th minute even if both efforts from Weerden and Swaby were ruled offside. Arsenal came close themselves from a corner, excellently whipped into the box once again by McCabe but no Arsenal player could make any meaningful connection with the ball.
The game slowed down in the second half as Larkin’s effort into the arms of Borbe was the only effort of note until the last fifteen minutes. That was when Foord fired a shot at the near post which did not trouble Yañez. McCabe came close with just a few minutes to go but another excellent block from Swaby denied Arsenal a goal to double the lead. Yet Arsenal would not be denied their much sought after second. With Palace stretched, Maanum played through Beth Mead. Mead faked a shot past one defender, before seemingly holding possession for too long with Yañez doing well to stay on her feet. However the wily winger pulled the ball back to Blackstenius, who made no mistake to fire home Arsenal’s second.
Crystal Palace Player Ratings
GK: Shae Yañez – 7.5/10 – Dealt with early crosses into the box effectively. Made an exceptional save from Frida Maanum with just under twenty minutes gone.
RWB: Molly-Mae Sharpe – 7.5/10 – Did an excellent job managing the threat of Foord and McCabe from open play.
RCB: Allyson Swaby – 7.5/10 – Great covering running denied Arsenal a second in the first half. Made an excellent block from a Maanum shot late on.
CB: Aimee Everett – 8/10 – The Crystal Palace captain showed leadership in this one, commanding the backline to great effect. Some of her long ball distribution was exceptional.
LCB: Hayley Nolan – 7.5/10 – Struggled when isolated against Smith but overall put in a good defensive showing.
LWB: Ashleigh Weerden – 7.5/10 – Made a couple of excellent charging runs into the Arsenal box. Always looked a threat, perhaps could have tracked back a little better.
CM: Shanade Hopcroft – 7/10 – Hopcroft did a good job up against the Arsenal midfield stopping the Gunners finding a rhythm.
CM: My Cato – 7.5/10 – Looked assured in this midfield battle against top level opposition.
CAM: Annabel Blanchard – 7/10 – Came incredibly close to opening the scoring from a free-kick that was just outside the box.
CAM: Kirsty Howat – 7/10 – Picked up some positive positions on the edge of the box finding Larkin in space more than once.
ST: Abbie Larkin – 8/10 – Showed great attack positioning and should have scored when Weerden put it on a plate for her early in the first half. Showed great physicality in one to one battles. Excellent effort from outside the box was saved by Borbe as well as hitting the bar again in the first half. Unlucky, but needs to be more clinical.
SUBS:
Elise Hughes – (68′ Hopcroft) – 5.5/10 – Did not see a huge amount of the ball and when she did late on her pass selection was poor.
Lola Brown – (81′ Sharpe) – N/A –
Indiah Page Reilly – (81′ Howatt) – N/A –
Chloe Arthur – (90′ Swaby) – N/A –
Laia Codina – (90′ Smith) – N/A
Arsenal Player Ratings
GK: Anneke Borbe – 8/10 – Confident with high claims in the box in the early stages. Made an excellent save from Abbie Larkin has really grown in confidence.
RB: Emily Fox – 7/10 – Drove high up the pitch looking to support Smith, Arsenal looked most dangerous on that side.
RCB: Leah Williamson – 7/10 – Showed some great touches and almost scored on her first start of the season. Came off with around 30 minutes to play.
LCB: Laia Codina – 7/10 – Scored an excellent goal, such is her threat from set pieces. Her pace continues to be an issue and Palace threatened to exploit that.
LB: Katie McCabe – 7/10 – Excellent delivery into the box from the dead ball throughout, did not help Codina out as much as she should have.
CM: Kyra Cooney-Cross – 8/10 – Her cross into the box found the head of Codina for the first goal, overall, her delivery, like McCabe’s was extremely accurate. Could have done with moving the ball a bit quicker at times.
CM: Victoria Pelova – 6/10 – Struggling to find a home in this Arsenal midfield, recovering from illness so is perhaps still feeling the effect of that.
CAM: Frida Maanum – 8/10 – Probably Arsenal’s biggest threat in the match, forced Yañez into a couple of good saves.
RW: Caitlin Foord – 6.5/10 – Made a strong start but faded as the first half continued, kept running until her last moment of the pitch.
LW: Olivia Smith – 7.5/10 – Always a threat for Arsenal, driving at the Palace defence at ever opportunity.
ST: Stina Blackstenius – 6.5/10 – Looked uncharacteristically sluggish up front, did not have too many sights at goal until the final moments when Beth Mead served her up her goal on a plate.
SUBS
Kim Little (60′ Pelova) – 6.5/10 – Helped steady the ship after coming into the match.
Steph Catley – (60′ Williamson) – 7/10 – Arsenal looked far more composed with Catley at the back, Larkin had little joy after she was introduced.
Lotte Wubben-Moy (60′ Codina) – 7/10 – Like Catley provided an air of calm in the line up after her introduction.
Beth Mead – (80′ Smith) – 7.5/10 – Looked as if she might have overplayed the ball when played through on goal by Maanum however her pull back to Blackstenius was visionary and the Swede finished with aplom.
