Alessia Russo Double Seals Victory For Rampant Arsenal Away To West Ham

Arsenal came from down for nan 2nd clip successful 2 games to move apical of nan Women’s Super League. This clip it was an ain extremity from goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar that put them successful trouble, earlier strikes by Frida Maanum, Stina Blackstenius, Caitlin Foord and 2 from Alessia Russo ensured nan European champions maintained a 100% commencement to nan season.

It is early successful nan caller run but successful a 12-team convention each constituent matters and for a broadside hopeless to extremity Chelsea from winning a seventh consecutive title, dropping points truthful soon into nan run would beryllium bruising. This is simply a caller Arsenal though, 1 fuelled by a occurrence lit by their phenomenal defeat of Barcelona successful nan Champions League final successful May. They cognize they tin hit nan best, now they person to beryllium they tin hit nan best, nan worst and those successful betwixt consistently.

The bubble machines that welcomed nan players struggled to nonstop their customary flurry crossed nan transportation astatine Victoria Road, nan downpour truthful torrential that they conscionable became a spot of a mist.

But location was nary bursting nan bubble of nan Hammers fans erstwhile their squad took a daze lead aft 5 minutes, Shekiera Martinez’s teasing shot towards nan backmost station slipping done nan hands of Van Domselaar and coming backmost disconnected nan station connected to her caput and in. It was weird, and unfortunate, but nan goalkeeper should person reckoned pinch nan shot being arsenic slick arsenic it was.

Having had to travel from a extremity down against London City Lionesses connected nan opening play of nan WSL season, erstwhile Kosovare Asllani converted from nan spot aft she was brought down by Katie Reid, location was a emotion of deja vu. Did Arsenal bask having their backs against nan wall? Probably not, but location is thing to beryllium said for nan grit and togetherness created by specified situations.

Arsenal were ascendant successful beforehand of an distant crowd to rival nan location contingent. They had 62% possession successful nan first half, nan bedewed transportation favouring their slick passing game, and successful nan 21st infinitesimal were deservedly level. It was bully activity from Russo connected nan near to clasp connected to nan shot and find Beth Mead, who delivered her 3rd assistance of nan season, slipping nan shot done nan legs of Finland’s Oona Siren to Maanum, who turned successful past Megan Walsh.

Caitlin Foord heads Arsenal’s 3rd from a transverse by Mariona Caldentey. Photograph: James Fearn/Getty Images

It was a extremity that was a testament to Arsenal’s depth, Maanum 1 of 3 changes to nan squad that saw disconnected London City with a 4-1 triumph past Saturday, pinch Victoria Pelova, Olivia Smith and Chloe Kelly making measurement for nan Norwegian, Mead and Caitlin Foord. The manager, Renée Slegers, confirmed Kelly’s absence from nan matchday squad was owed to a knock. Meanwhile, for West Ham, Walsh was successful extremity successful spot of Kinga Szemik and Seraina Piubel was replaced by Amber Tysiak.

This could person been a banana tegument for Arsenal, contempt their awesome grounds against nan Hammers, pinch 11 wins from 13 games against their London rivals. However, nan hosts’ only triumph against them came successful February, delivering a critical rustle to nan northbound London side’s title hopes, pinch Rehanne Skinner’s broadside proving tricky to play against.

It was hardly a thriller, but erstwhile nan rainfall stopped, play improved and it was nan half-time substitution of Maanum for Champions League last goalscorer Blackstenius that helped Arsenal break nan deadlock, Russo’s backheel rifled into nan acold area by nan Sweden forward.

Just past nan hour, Foord lifted nan pressure, heading powerfully betwixt nan raised arms of Walsh from Mariona Caldentey’s shot aft a short area from Katie McCabe.

West Ham were overrun, nan squad failing to registry a azygous changeable connected target and producing six touches successful nan guidance container to Arsenal’s 30. Ultimately, their play will not beryllium defined by results against nan apical four, but having troubled those teams past season, pinch draws earned against Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City, and Arsenal needing to travel from down against nan Hammers to unafraid a 4-3 triumph successful March, location will beryllium disappointment that they weren’t capable to do more.

Russo put nan cherry connected apical pinch 2 goals successful 3 minutes precocious on. First, substitute Smith group her up to lash into nan apical area from nan separator of nan box. Then Smith was brought down connected a tricky tally into nan area and up stepped Russo to person nan penalty. It was objective and efficient, if astatine times not very pretty, and nan Arsenal fans sang: “We cognize you don’t judge us, we cognize you don’t judge us, we cognize you don’t judge us, we’re going to triumph nan league.”