Vivianne Miedema scored in her first Barclays Women’s Super League appearance for Manchester City, as the Cityzens held Arsenal to a 2-2 draw at Emirates Stadium.
Frida Maanum struck the first blow to spark euphoria amongst the majority of the 41,818-strong crowd in N5, but Miedema’s leveller before the interval offered the visitors a lifeline. They took full advantage, with Jess Park’s thunderous effort handing Gareth Taylor’s side the lead before Beth Mead salvaged a point for the Gunners.
As it happened
Manchester City found themselves starting well in North London, with the pre-match storyline dominated by Vivianne Miedema’s return to her former club just days after scoring on her competitive debut for the Cityzens.
The Dutch international came close to opening the scoring with just seven minutes on the clock in N5, unleashing a fierce effort from distance with Manuela Zinsberger caught some way off her line; the strike flew inches wide of the post though.
It would be prove to be the wake-up call that Arsenal needed, as the Gunners struck the first blow merely seconds later through Frida Maanum. Emily Fox’s ball on the right flank forward for Caitlin Foord was delivered into the box, and while it narrowly evaded the lingering Stina Blackstenius, her fellow Scandinavian was there to slam home from ten yards out.
Embed from Getty ImagesMaanum’s opener would be the first chance of many for the hosts as the momentum switched in their favour, with Fox rolling an effort wide of the near post before Blackstenius suffered the same fate after rounding Ayaka Yamashita moments later.
The opportunities kept flowing for Jonas Eidevall’s side as the first half progressed, with Maanum blazing over the crossbar to prolong her search for a second goal before Mariona Caldentey’s first-ever chance at Emirates Stadium saw her hook an effort off target.
But Miedema soon marked her return to Arsenal – the club she spent seven years at before departing on a free transfer this – in the only way she knows: with a goal. A quick flurry of passes on the edge of the box allowed the Dutch international to jink past Lotte Wubben-Moy, curling the leveller past Zinsberger via a hefty deflection off Laia Codina.
Embed from Getty ImagesBlackstenius squandered a fabulous opportunity to restore her side’s lead in the dying embers of the first half, shooting straight into the arms of Yamashita after a rapid counter-attack, and it was an error that would prove costly as the Cityzens roared into the lead before the hour mark.
Manchester City had grown into the ascendancy throughout the opening exchanges of the second half, yet the manner of their second goal stunned the Emirates Stadium into silence. Jess Park rattled the crossbar with a thunderous effort from the edge of the box; the ball bobbling over the line as the Arsenal defenders had turned their attention to Wubben-Moy, who’d been sent tumbling to the floor just seconds prior.
Miedema was applauded by both sets of fans as she left the field to be replaced by Mary Fowler, though the league’s record goalscorer will likely be ruing missed chances as she was twice denied another goal before her 74th-minute withdrawal.
Arsenal regained control of the fixture following that substitution, with Alessia Russo finding promising spaces off the bench but ultimately being left frustrated by Yamashita, who stifled her every chance.
Eidevall’s side would be dragged level in the 81st minute by Beth Mead, however, in a bizarre set of circumstances that left Manchester City captain, Alex Greenwood, enraged. Rosa Kafaji’s effort from a tight angle rebounded off the near post and fell perfectly for Mead to smash home; Chloe Kelly had been wiped out by Katie McCabe in the buildup, though the referee opted to show Greenwood a yellow card for her protests.
Embed from Getty ImagesKafaji looked to bag a goal of her own as the clock ticked into the seven minutes of additional time indicated by the fourth official, although her curling effort flew marginally wide of the top-right corner.
Laia Aleixandri momentarily offered one last wave of optimism for City’s strong travelling support, though her snatched effort was delivered into the gloves of Zinsberger.
A draw in North London sets the tone for a toe-to-toe title fight, in which Arsenal and Manchester City will surely find themselves alongside Sonia Bompastor’s Chelsea. Both teams now turn their attention away from the Barclays Women’s Super League, however, as they prepare to contest the second legs of their UEFA Women’s Champions League qualifiers on Thursday.
The lineups
ARS: Zinsberger; McCabe, Codina, Wubben-Moy, Fox; Little, Cooney-Cross; Caldentey, Magnum, Ford; Blackstenius
MCI: Yamashita; Ouahabi, Greenwood, Aleixandri, Casparij; Miedema, Hasegawa, Park; Hemp, Shaw, Fujino
