MUFC W vs Arsenal W
By Alex Foresythe
There was a record attendance at the Leigh Sports Arena, with 8340 people in attendance for two very big WSL teams.
The hosts started on the front foot and were looking to entertain the record-attendance crowd with a lot of early attacking displays.
4 mins in Toone set the tone by having the first effort of the day and was a comfortable save by Van Domselaar in Arsenal’s net.
Russo is then the first from the away team to signal some intent at goal and has a strike from the edge of the box which narrowly misses the target. This was then a sign of what was to come as Arsenal had then started to grow in confidence and started to get a grip on the game.
The First Yellow card of the day was produced to Arsenal captain Kim Little as an arsenal attack had broken down and she had pulled the top of a united attacker to stop them going through on the counter.
The rest of the first half was a cagey affair as both teams treated the game as a chess match.
Two very well-set-up teams had been set up to minimize errors.
Out of the two teams, Arsenal seemed the more dominant team as they had various amounts of half chances.
With Tullis- Joyce being the more busy of the two keepers as she had to deny efforts from Terland in the 33 Min after an outstanding cross from Bizet and then also an effort soon after from Foord who latches onto a cross from deep by Caldentey in the 35 min.
Halftime: Man United 0-0 Arsenal
Goalless at the break with Arsenal having the majority of the better chances, although United have done well to hold on and has also been a threat on the counter.
Two outstanding teams who are set up tactically really well.
Arsenal came out the halftime breaking as an effort from Foord was blocked by the United defence in the 46 Minute. Caldentey also plays in several crosses into Russo who misses the target in the 47 Minute and then in the 49 Min Caldentey cross heads it straight into Tullis-Joyce’s hands.
60 Min Toone comes off for Malard and instantly after in the 62 Minute Arsenal breaks the deadlock as Russo latches onto the end of a cross and finishes nicely across the goal to make it 1-0 to Arsenal and also give her the team the lead against her former club.
Russo then is subbed off in the 77 Minute and is met by an array of boos from the home crowd which boomed around the stadium.
When it looked like Arsenal was going to take all three points home due to their dominance in possession and the majority of half chances, United got a corner in the 82 Minute and George swung the corner which found the head of Williams whose effort on goal was blocked and Malard was alert enough to head home and find the equaliser to make it 1-1.
Late in stoppage time, United had a chance from Geyse as Riviere and Geyse combined well down the right after a long pass from Le Tissier, but Geyse fired wide.
Arsenal then went down the other end and a cross came into Williamson who headed straight at the keeper from point blanc range.
Full-time Man United 1-1 Arsenal
Arsenal would feel hard done by as they controlled the game better and had the majority of the chances as they had 19 shots but only scored 1 Goal.
A record attendance at the Leigh Valley stadium which proved a good advert for the WSL
