Report: Arsenal Women 2-1 Manchester City

Our women’s team beat Manchester City 2-1 in a behind-closed-doors friendly at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Wednesday.

Stina Blackstenius opened the scoring from a Chloe Kelly corner, before Lauren Hemp equalised on the brink of half-time.

The scores were level until the dying embers, when Selina Cerci put Lisa Baum through on goal and she gave us a late winner.

FIRST HALF

City had the first sight of goal with a ball over the top for Khadija Shaw, but Anneke Borbe was quick off of her line to head the danger clear.

Mary Fowler then played a short corner with Aoba Fujino and then a one-two before crossing to the far post for Rebecca Knaak, whose header was parried over the bar well by Borbe, but the flag went up anyway.

At the other end, Chloe Kelly went inside to Georgia Stanway, who drilled a long-range effort low of the bottom left.

Taylor Hinds then played a nice reverse pass through to Stanway, who forced a save from Eartha Cumings.

In the 17th minute, Kerstin Casparij’s cross from the right was met by the head of Mary Fowler, who saw her shot go over the top right.

Kelly was next to play it forward to Blackstenius, who fired wide of the bottom left from distance, before Aoba Fujino got past Hinds and went for goal with power towards the near post, but Anneke Borbe was equal to it.

We found the breakthrough in the 24th minute as Kelly’s corner was flicked on by Blackstenius and into the roof of the net for 1-0.

Borbe then made an unbelievable save to deny Khadija Shaw, who met a Hemp cross first time on the volley, pushing the ball up onto the bar.

Shaw found Greenwood with half-time approaching and her rising, powerful effort was again tipped over by Borbe. Stanway then gave the ball away and Shaw raced through on goal, but Mariona Caldentey tracked back to ensure she couldn’t get a shot away.

It was 1-1 on the brink of half-time though, Fowler switching play with a long ball over to Hemp, who cut inside and bent the ball into the far bottom corner on her right foot to equalise.

SECOND HALF

Hemp’s inswinging corner early in the second half was headed over by Fowler. Our response saw Blackstenius and Kelly link up nicely with Caitlin Foord, but the latter curled her first time effort onto the bar.

Hemp then tried her luck from distance, shooting straight at Borbe, who caught it comfortably, and an Alessia Russo cross was headed over by Blackstenius at the other end.

Moments later, Kelly found Stanway on the edge of the area and she fired over the bar, and Cerci’s strike from distance in the hour mark was too central to trouble Ayaka Yamashita.

Olivia Smith drifted in from the left and set up Russo, who smashed it wide of the post. That was followed by a flurry of changes, including the introduction of Kyra Cooney-Cross, who made her return to the side.

We managed to grab a late winner by way of new signings linking up, Cerci threading it through to Baum, who went around the goalkeeper and tucked it across the line for 2-1.

WHAT'S NEXT

We play two pre-season matches at Mangata Developments Stadium in Borehamwood. They will be against Paris FC at 1pm on Sunday and Charlton Athletic at 7pm on Wednesday. Get your tickets!

Then, the WSL campaign begins away to Brighton & Hove Albion at 12pm on Sunday, September 6.