Report: Brighton 0-4 Arsenal (inc. goals)
Yesterday at 04:16 PM
Arsenal: Zinsberger; Reid, Wubben-Moy, Codina, McCabe; Cooney-Cross, Wälti; Mead, Maanum, Kafaji; Russo
Substitutes: Van Domselaar, Fox, Williamson, Catley, Wienroither, Mariona, Little, Foord, Blackstenius
Arsenal have beaten Brighton in the Quarter-final of the Subway Women’s League Cup. Arsenal were held by Brighton for an hour, but the introduction of Mariona Caldente was a turning point, and Arsenal scored 3 goals in 5 minutes to win the tie, before Mariona added a 4th. Arsenal will host Manchester City in the semi-final.
Renée Slegers made six changes to the team that beat Crystal Palace on Sunday. Manuela Zinsberger is very much the cup keeper right now, while Katie Reid, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Laia Codina, Lia Wälti, and Rosa Kafaji started. Emily Fox, Leah Williamson, Steph Catley, Mariona, and Kim Little dropped to the subs bench.
Alessia Russo had Arsenal’s best chance in the opening ten minutes. Beth Mead forced a high turnover, and Russo latched onto the loose ball, and shot first time, with the shot going just over the crossbar.
Frida Maanum would be the next to have a chance for Arsenal, with Mead finding Maanum with a cutback and the Norwegian shooting over.
Arsenal then forced another high turnover but from the edge of the box Kyra Cooney-Cross shot straight at Loeck.
McCabe then went close after good hold up play from Kafaji. With McCabe charging on the underlap, Kafaji kept possession, and found McCabe, who shot over. Kafaji then had a shot deflected over after Cooney-Cross had won the ball high up.
Russo should’ve put Arsenal ahead on 35 minutes. Kafaji kept possession, returned the ball to McCabe, who played an excellent cross from the corner of the box. Russo got away from her marker but headed straight at Loeck.
Arsenal made a substitution in the first minute of first half stoppage time, with Lia Wälti forced off with injury. Kim Little replaced her.
Arsenal had controlled almost all of the first half, and they started the second half in the same vein. Beth Mead, playing on the left, played in a dangerous low ball that Bergsvand cleared away for a corner.
On 56 minutes, Slegers made a double change, with Mariona Caldentey replacing Beth Mead and Emily Fox replacing Katie Reid.
Fox’s first involvement was to cross from near the byline for Russo at the near post, with Russo’s header going just wide.
Brighton made their own changes, with Nikita Parris, Symonds, and Carabali all coming on for Thorisdottir, Cankovic, and Bruna.
McCabe’s low dangerous cross was diverted wide by Russo and escaped Kafaji but Arsenal won a corner. From the corner, Arsenal went short, and the ball was worked to Mariona, who struck the base of the post, and then the follow up shot from Russo was blocked, and Brighton scrambled clear.
Arsenal took the lead on 65 minutes. Arsenal again caught Brighton playing short, with Mariona winning Loeck’s pass. She advanced on goal, and then slipped the ball to her right, to Frida Maanum, who slammed the ball into the back of the net. 0-1.
Arsenal made it 2-0 on 68 minutes. Mariona and Little combined on the edge of the area, and Mariona slipped Russo down the inside-right channel of the box. Russo cut the ball back, and McCabe tapped home with her right foot. 0-2.
Two minutes later, it was 3-0. Maanum played wide to Mariona, who drove into the box, and then picked Cooney-Cross out in the middle of the box, who struck her shot first time into the top right corner. 0-3.
On 79 minutes, Arsenal made their final two changes. Leah Williamson replaced Laia Codina, and Stina Blackstenius replaced Alessia Russo.
Mariona got the goal that her performance deserved on 83 minutes. Kafaji’s cross was deflected, and Loeck came to clear. Loeck collided with a defender, the ball bounced off of Maanum, and came to Mariona, who, with an empty net, lobbed the ball into the net. 0-4.
Mariona was involved again, as she played a brilliant diagonal for Blackstenius, whose header was easily saved by Loeck.
Olislagers would shoot over the bar from a Brighton free kick, with Zinsberger untroubled, as she was when the two teams met at the Emirates. Like then, Arsenal were too much for the Seagulls.
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