Arsenal took on Manchester City in the semi-finals of the Continental Cup.
Teams
Arsenal:
Manuela Zinsberger; Leonie Maier; Leah Williamson; Viktoria Schnaderbeck; Katie McCabe; Lia Wälti (c); Danielle Van de Donk; Jill Roord; Lisa Evans (Jordan Nobbs); Vivianne Miedema; Beth Mead
Manchester City:
Ellie Roebuck; Georgia Stanway; Steph Houghton (c); Gemma Bonner; Demi Stokes; Jill Scott; Keira Walsh; Caroline Weir; Lauren Hemp; Ellen White (Pauline Bremer); Tessa Wullaert (Laura Coombs)
Score
2 (Vivianne Miedema; Danielle Van de Donk) v 1 (Gemma Bonner)
Player of the Match
Leah Williamson – Williamson continues to put herself as one of the first in line for a spot in the Lionesses’ defence. After a series of outstanding performances so far in 2020, she put in another solid performance against a strong City attack.
Stand Out Moment
Vivianne Miedema scored her first goal of 2020 at the perfect time in this fixture for Arsenal. After withstanding significant pressure, the hosts settled down and when you have a striker of Miedema’s stature up front, you can always make it count. A defensive error from Gemma Bonner saw the ball fall to Beth Mead. With a quick look up, she found Miedema in the box. The Arsenal forward turned and buried her shot low into the far corner to put her team innto the driving seat.
Key Takeaways
- Manchester City’s defensive frailties on show – While Arsenal deserved their first half lead, and probably ultimately the win, both goals came due to City’s defensive errors. Bonner’s mis-placed pass wasn’t the only error as the City defence struggled to clear the lines throughout the evening while Danielle Van de Donk’s shot went straight through Ellie Roebuck.
- Lia Wälti’s performance – This was Wälti’s best performance in an Arsenal shirt since returning from injury in late 2019. She absorbed the pressure in midfield with ease, starting off many of Arsenal’s offensive moves while protecting her defence.
- The standard of refereeinng – It was another poor night for the officials as they were found lacking all over the park. A niggly first half ended with Beth Mead being slid into the side hoardings. Thankfully, the Arsenal winger was ok but it was enough to enrage the normally calm Joe Montemurro, who charged over to talk to the referee as the whistle blew. In the second half, the referee awarded a penalty after a foul on Laureen Hemp that was clearly outside the box.
Quote of the Day
“It’s why I was always so proud to be part of Arsenal from when I was a baby. They were a successful team and they always did things the right way and I think we’re doing that at the minute.”
LEAH WILLIAMSON
