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GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Manchester City (Aleixandri 74)
Kelly’s ball is alright, but it’s the touch the ball takes off Catley that makes this goal – she can’t sort out her feet, and Aexiandri punches home the opener from close range.
73 min Keating pings a decent ball out to Fowler, she finds Kelly, and Foord fouls Kelly, who will now stick the free-kick into the box from out on the right touchline…
72 min Hemp runs at Williamson, who stands up well and kicks behind. She’s playing very nicely indeed, and the watching Sarina Wiegman will be delighted, I’m certain.
70 min Blackstenius, having pulled right, is nicely found and cuts back, but Maanum can’t get a shot away thanks to Aleixandri’s timely challenge, then Mead shoots straight at Keating.
70 min Wubben-Moy spreads wide to Foord, who controls beautifully. But her cross is rushed and Greenwood heads clear under nae pressure.
69 min Hemp is now playing as a false nine, with Fowler replacing her on the left-hand side.
68 min Yup, Shaw is now on the bench icing a leg. Hopefully it’s just precautionary.
67 min City send on Fowler for Shaw, who must surely be injured given she almost opened the scoring twice just a few minutes ago.
66 min Ch ch ch changes, Arsenal withdrawing McCabe and Russo for Blackstenius and Catley.
64 min And again! This time, Kelly’s corner picks out Shaw beyond the back post, and her header is kicked off the line by Williamson!
63 min And Kelly’s delivery is excellent, picking out Shaw a fair way out. But she jumps superbly, directing her header goalwards, and D’Angelo claws behind at full stretch! Having barely had a kick this half, City almost take the lead!
63 min Kelly teases McCabe – good luck with that – standing still and waving foot over ball. She wins a corner….
61 min A fine ball in behind for Russo – Williamson is finding her range – stretches City. But her low cross, seeking Mead, is cleared.
60 min Mead sticks a low one into the box and the ball won’t quite drop for Russo, so City clear.
59 min This is much more like it, Cooney-Cross picking up the second ball and swinging in a terrific cross, Keating doing enough to get it behind.
58 min Ah, the ball didn’t go behind off Foord, so Keating must now defend a corner … which yields another then another, Russo’s header hitting a defender and flying behind.
57 min Keating is down, receiving treatment for what looks like a neck situation, hacing dived low to cut out the attempted cross. I think she’ll be OK.
55 min Hasegawa, who’s been quiet, passes straight to Foord, and again Arsenal move the ball from side to side, until Foord picks up again down the left, isolating Casparaji, diddling her on the outside and racing across the by-line as the challenge comes in. If she goes down, I think she gets a penalty, but she stays up and her cut-back hits Hasegawa, hits her, and bounces behind.
54 min Arsenal are much the better side now, but both their shots on goal this half have come from outside the box. Here they come again, though, Fox winning a challenge with Kelly and sending Russo away down the right. With few options inside the box, though, her cross is easily cleared.
51 min D’Angelo takes a risk, coming out of her box and finding herself under pressure from Shaw, her pass out going straight to Hemp … who’s quickly crowded out.
50 min This is much better from Arsenal, Williamson higher so, when she wins a header, Pelova is able to turn Coombs nicely, driving towards the box before curling a shot just wide of the far post.
49 min Just outside the box, Shaw shrugs off Cooney-Cross, but with little help she opts to shoot, dragging a tame effort that’s easily saved.
47 min Arsenal are pressing City higher now and a high recovery keeps City penned inside their own half. But when the ball runs into touch, it ends up with D’Angelo, and there’s been a disappointing lack of ideas in this game.
46 min Immediately, Arsenal look to be playing with greater urgency, enterprise and conviction, McCabe having a shot from distance blocked.
46 min We go again, improvement expected.
In our other early game, it’s Wolves 0-0 Brighton.
Elsewhere…
HALF-TIME: Arsenal 0-0 Manchester City
Not just no goals but no chances. Both managers have work to do, because this is poor.
45+1 min Cooney-Cross slots a clever pass into Foord, who quickly runs into trouble, then Pelova picks out Mead at the far post … and up goes the flag as she wins her header but to no avail.
45+1 min We’ll have one additional minute.
45 min Park eases forward unmolested and finds Hemp outside her … whose instacross eludes everyone.
43 min McCabe, well forward, controls well, but when Foord takes possession just outside the box, she bursts into it, but a heavy touch means the ball runs away from her.
42 min Arsenal need to get players closer to Russo, who’s been totally isolated so far. It’s not totally clear what kind of goal they’re seeking to score, looking more like they’re just hoping something will at some point happen.
40 min This is still a mess, but on the plus side, I reckon I might be able to get that jerk sauce made during half-time.
38 min If the match finishes in a draw, we’ll have extra time and then penalties to settle things. I’d not be at all surprised were that to happen.
36 min Arsenal are missing a link between midfield and attack; I wonder if we might see Kim Little or Lia Walti early in the second half if that continues.
35 min But this is more like it, Hemp doing Fox on the outside and digging out a cross seeking Shaw that D’Angelo claims well enough.
34 min This has been a poor match so far, neither side able to get their passing in the final third going. City look likelier, but there’s not much in it.
32 min Kelly runs at Williamson, trying a lollipop before looking for a pass that’s easily cut out. In comms, Fara notes that Shaw is playing a little deep, pulling away from the play rather than gambling, and that’s not leaving her teammates many options.
31 min Kelly pulls wide and Casparaji runs past, the pass seeking her too strong. Both teams have been very wasteful and imprecise so far.
30 min Shaw runs at the Arsenal defence so Maanum trips her, doing well to avoid a booking.
28 min I wonder if Arsenal might bring Russo a little deeper, then have players run off her, because currently she’s struggling. But, as I type, she drives forwards out of defence, Aleixandri fouls her, and Pelova sets Foord away! Only for the flag to go up! I’m not sure she was offside there, but an earlier pass takes the fear out of the equation.
27 min “This is all very timid and loose from Arsenal,” returns Charles Antaki. “They’re making City look as if they’ll walk through and score any time. Obviously you can’t call McCabe timid, but if she’s going to have to make up for the rest of them, then she won’t last the half.”
Ha! She’s a lot of fun to watch isn’t she? Arsenal need to get Russo into the game, I think, and also Pelova who’s been quiet so far.
25 min McCabe goes in the back of Hemp, shoving her from behind by the touchline, play going nowhere. So Hemp runs towards her, McCabe stands in her way, bumping her, so Hemp shoves her over. Let’s hope the needle builds…
24 min McCabe takes a bit of treatment following a bang to the heed, then thn corner is duly wasted.
22 min Fara Williams is such a fun and thoughtful co-commentator, and she giggles at having to avoid a ball headed for her, then Kelly pumps a free-kick to the back post and McCabe humps behind. And watching the incident again, we see Foord all over Shaw – I’ve no idea why one of the defenders isn’t marking her – and really, that’s another penalty Arsenal have avoided conceding.
21 min Arsenal win a thrown deep inside the City half which goes short, then McCabe slips into space for Foord, who’s gone inexcusably early given she could look across the line from where she was.
19 min Nice from City, Kelly punching a first-time pass down the line for Ouhabi, whose cross is again well-claimed by D’Angelo. We then see the Wubben-Moy challenge again, and it looks more of a penalty every time.
18 min This is warming up a bit, Aleixandri weaving away from Maanum before finding Hemp, whose shot is blocked by McCabe. City are back controlling, but without looking especially threatening.
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