Report: Arsenal Women 0-0 Crystal Palace

We were held to a goalless draw at home to Crystal Palace in the Women’s Super League on Sunday afternoon.

Our dominance throughout the game was met with stubborn defending from Palace to ensure the points were shared in N5.

APPLYING THE PRESSURE

Setting the tempo for a dominant first half, Georgia Stanway threaded the ball through to Alessia Russo early on, and she turned well before getting a shot away, stinging the palms of Pauline Peyraud-Magnin with a powerful left-footed effort.

Mariona Caldentey then lifted a half-volley onto the crossbar following a Chloe Kelly cross from the left, before Mariona slotted in Emily Fox, but Peyraud-Magnin rushed off her line to close the angle and make the save.

Leah Williamson won the ball from a Palace clearance in the 21st minute and was afforded time and space to have a go from distance, firing over the bar.

Continuing our hunt for the opener, Fox’s left-footed cross from the right was headed back across goal by Mariona and Russo was there to divert it towards goal, but Molly Bartrip was in the right place to clear the danger.

Just beyond the half-hour mark, Stanway did well to carry the ball into the 18-yard box before shooting just wide of the bottom left, and Kelly played a short corner to Kyra Cooney-Cross, her delivery hooked wide by Mariona.

The away side had their first sight of goal in the 35th minute, when Abbie Larkin’s free-kick was flicked on by Cooney-Cross and headed onto the roof of the net by former Gunner Teyah Goldie.

Back up the other end, Stanway teed up Ona Batlle on the edge of the area and she hit it just over the bar, before we flew forward on the counter-attack and Lisa Baum, who had switched from right to left, fizzed the ball across the face of goal, but Russo failed to hit the target.

ONE-WAY TRAFFIC

It was much the same story in the second half - our Gunners dominating with possession and chance creation but unable to break the deadlock.

Baum cut in from the right and smashed a strike towards the bottom right but Peyraud-Magnin was equal to it, before Batlle’s cross came out to Fox and her ball back in was touched wide by Russo.

Stanway then played a long ball forward to Mariona, who took it down well but curled just wide of the bottom right, and Russo found Baum on the right and she did well to sit Goldie down before shooting onto the bar and over.

With half an hour remaining, Olivia Smith and Stina Blackstenius came on as we looked to find the breakthrough, replacing Kelly and Cooney-Cross.

Moments later, Baum drifted in from the right again and went for goal on her left foot. Peyraud-Magnin spilled it before Batlle shot straight at the Palace goalkeeper.

We were denied again by Peraud-Magnin after Baum put Blackstenius through on goal, and Russo’s next effort was low but again the keeper made the save.

Stanway then tried her luck from distance, forcing Peyraud-Magnin to parry it past the post, but nothing came of the following corner.

Our next changes came in the 74th minute as Kim Little and Caitlin Foord replaced Mariona and Baum, before Frida Maanum came on for Russo in the 85th.

Smith struck wide of the bottom left from distance and Little shot over in the game's dying embers as we were forced to settle for a point apiece.