Arsenal get revenge on Liverpool for FA Cup defeat with 4-0 thrashing in WSL | OneFootball

Caitlin Foord and Mariona Caldentey led Arsenal to a dominant 4-0 win over Liverpool in the Women’s Super League.

The Gunners dominated the game right from the start, with attackers Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo both going close to opening the scoring in the first 15 minutes.

Foord was inches away from finding the back of the net in the 22nd minute after being played through on goal by Russo, but her effort bounced off the wrong side of the post.

The Australian international eventually got Arsenal off the mark in the 28th minute, tapping in from close range before the hosts doubled their lead just two minutes later courtesy of an own goal by Liverpool defender Jasmine Matthews.

The Gunners did not take their foot off the gas after going in the lead and continued to create big chances. Frida Maanum’s strike from the edge of the box rattled the post, but it was Caldentey’s curling effort in the 45th minute that gave Arsenal a comfortable 3-0 lead at half-time.

Renee Slegers’ side continued to threaten in the second half. Beth Mead came off the bench to force a second own goal from Matthews, who through very little fault of her own, was now on a hat-trick at the wrong end.

To put an end to a great night for Arsenal, Dutch midfielder Victoria Pelova made her long-awaited return in the 73rd minute, after spending the last 328 days on the sidelines with an ACL injury.

Here are five things we learned from the game:

Arsenal get their revenge

The Gunners got their revenge against Liverpool, who knocked them out of the FA Cup in the quarter-final stage two weeks ago. Slegers’ side failed to take their chances in that game and paid the price for it. However, no such mistakes were made this time around.

Slegers admitted before the game that some players were seeking revenge from the previous result, which explains the determination the team displayed both in and out of possession. It was a complete performance from start to finish, and the Gunners will be hoping to replicate it on Wednesday night when they face Real Madrid at the Emirates.

One step closer to UWCL qualification

The win takes Arsenal one step closer to securing qualification for next season’s Women’s Champions League. While Chelsea are a shoe-in for the WSL title and as a result, one of the UWCL qualification spots, Arsenal have been battling Manchester United and City for the other two spots.

The Gunners sit comfortably in second position after today’s win, three points ahead of United and seven points ahead of City, both of whom have a game in hand. With a favourable run of fixtures to end the season, the north London outfit are favourites to secure UWCL football among the three sides

Whiteley suffers first defeat at Liverpool

Amber Whiteley’s dream start at Liverpool comes to an end as she suffered her first defeat since taking over as interim head coach. She took charge of the Reds just three weeks ago and has already produced huge wins against Arsenal, Manchester United, and Crystal Palace.

Whiteley recently became the first Liverpool manager to win their first two Women’s Super League games but failed to extend that run in this game. Her team was outplayed and outclassed by a brilliant Arsenal side on the day, but there have been plenty of signs of progress under Whiteley that should excite Liverpool fans.

Zinsberger vs van Domselaar

Arsenal manager Renee Slegers has a big decision to make regarding her first-choice goalkeeper. Summer signing Daphne Van Domselaar was previously preferred to veteran goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger. However, since the Dutch goalkeeper’s own goal which cost the Gunners their place in the FA Cup semi-finals, Slegers has preferred to start Zinsberger in the previous two games.

While van Domselaar started against Liverpool and kept a clean sheet, she faced zero shots on target during the 90 minutes. Arsenal’s game against Real Madrid could be season-defining as it’s their only shot at winning a trophy, and getting the goalkeeper decision right could be the decisive factor.

Bouncing back after Real Madrid loss

Arsenal suffered a disappointing 2-0 loss to Real Madrid in the UWCL during the week. It was imperative for them to get the win today in front of 35,628 fans at the Emirates Stadium, where the second leg against Madrid will be played on Wednesday.

The 4-0 win will boost the squad’s confidence as they will need to be at their clinical best to try and overturn the two-goal deficit. They got their revenge against Liverpool and will now be hoping they can replicate this performance against the Spanish side.