Arsenal hosted Birmingham City at Borehamwood as the Barclays FAWSL returned after the Christmas break.
Teams
Arsenal:
Pauline Peyraud-Magnin; Leah Williamson; Danielle Van de Donk (Jill Roord); Jordan Nobbs; Kim Little (c); Vivianne Miedema; Lia Wälti; Katie McCabe; Leonie Maier; Viktoria Schnaderbeck
Birmingham City:
Hannah Hampton; Harriet Scott; Chloe Arthur; Rachel Williams (Laura Brown); Abbi Grant (Sarah Mayling); Adrienne Jordan; Lucy Whipp (Connie Scofield); Claudia Walker; Rebecca Holloway; Lily Simkin; Lucy Staniforth
Score:
2 (Kim Little; Jordan Nobbs) v 0
Player of the Match
Kim Little – the Arsenal captain was the driving force behind every Arsenal move. As good on the ball as she was off it, it was a performance we’ve come to expect from the midfielder. Plus she added another goal to her tally to top it off.
Honourable mention, however, goes to Birmingham’s Hannah Hampton, whose brilliance between the sticks definitely kept the score-line respectable.
Stand Out Moment
Jordan Nobbs’ strike – A pinpoint long ball from the back from Leah Williamson found her compatriot on the edge of the box. Nobbs let it bounce before looping the ball over Hannah Hampton and into the far corner.
Key Takeaways
- The hallmark of a top side is to be able to find a win even when you’re not at your best. This was Arsenal today. A good first half saw them take control of the game but they were poor in the second, with their play not flowing as we have come expect. However, they still managed to create chances and seal the three points.
- The second half will have given Birmingham several positives to build on. They played their way into the game, pressured the Arsenal players on the ball and managed to create some good opportunities. Lucy Staniforth and Rachel Williams didn’t stop running and drove their team going forward. But they need to be creating more in the final third to turn pressure into a real impact on the game.
- It is a rare day when you don’t see Vivianne Miedema’s name on the scoresheet but that’s not to say the Arsenal striker didn’t have an impact on the game. She added another assist to her tally to set up Little’s opener, hit the woodwork, almost scored the goal of the season and forced the brilliant Hampton into two top saves.
Quote of the Day
“I couldn’t wait to get back [after the Christmas break]. When I’m at my best, I want to shoot from range like that. There’s a long way to go still but I feel like I’m in a good place after having some time off”
JORDAN NOBBS
