ANATOMY OF A MATCH – Arsenal v Man City – the Players’ Point of View
The narrowest of margins – 1-0 (as they say) to the Arsenal. Optimistic half-and-half scarf sellers outside the ground. 39,155 fans on tenterhooks, right to the end.
This was the very definition of a hard-fought victory, for Man City definitely didn’t park the bus – as their neighbours have done at the Emirates and Meadow Park. Grit and graft were needed to see out the game.
We spoke to three of the players post-match – City’s Sam Coffey and Arsenal’s Daphne van Domselaar and Frida Maanum – to see how they felt at the end of this thriller and get their verdicts.
City came to play, with a fearsome looking forward line of Bunny Shaw, Kerolin, Viv Miedema and Lauren Hemp. But in truth, apart from forays from the ever-eager Hemp, the strikers were neutralised by Lotte Wubben Moy and Steph Catley, with Emily Fox and Katie McCabe also carving their way up and down the wings and occasionally cutting inside as part of Renée Slegers’ most flexible structure of the season so far for Arsenal.
Midfield battle
The midfield was where the match was really won, with Mariona and the imperious Kim Little snapping at the heels of every City player, especially in the first half. Although bringing new signing and USWNT star Sam Coffey on at half-time definitely evened up this battle, and helped make space for the industrious Yui Hasegawa. Coffey’s impact was instant, and her stats were off the chart. Looking forward to seeing more of her, and she surely starts from now on?
Fluidity up-front for Arsenal made for a relentlessly entertaining encounter, with match-winner Olivia Smith as the main 9, with birthday girl Alessia Russo behind as the 10, working everywhere. They made life uncomfortable, if not impossible for City’s centre-back partnership of Rebecca Knaak and Jade Rose.
Meanwhile, Caitlin Foord galloped down the left with Beth Mead on the right. Sometimes Smith drifted out to the wing and Foord drifted in as another striker, and when sub Frida Maanum replaced Mead (who was wearing a precautionary boot after the match), Russo could take up her preferred role as the 9, with Smith out wide.
Chances
City had chances – and might well have had a free kick on the edge of the box when Hemp was floored, but referee Abi Byrne waved away the appeals. Yamashita made some unbelievable saves, as usual. And back for her first start this year, Daphne van Domselaar came out for crosses and was brave with every shot, especially at the end, when she made a double-save at the edge of the penalty area.
Maybe the moment that summed up the difference – and added bite in Arsenal now – was when Mead brought down Miedema and for one split second was caught in two minds. Should she stop and see if she was okay, or should she play on?
Mead played on, only returning to check on her partner once play stopped. I asked Miedema about this and she replied honestly: “It’s football, isn’t it? It doesn’t matter who it’s with. It happens in the game, and we just carry on.”
Coffey Time
Here’s what the others said, starting with Sam Coffey, who was hugely impressive and seems to have taken to the WSL like a duck to water.
How did it feel playing at the Emirates? Because I know historically you were an Arsenal fan.
Sam Coffey: Yeah, it was pretty surreal.
Definitely a really cool experience.
I’ve never been here before, so the fact that it’s my first time coming here is to play, it’s just a dream come true.
Obviously it’s not the result that we wanted and so that sours the day a bit, but still just an experience I’m grateful for.
Hopefully it’ll end better in future.
How did you feel in the game, what emotions were you feeling?
Yeah, I mean there wasn’t really time to feel.
I knew my job coming on was to help the team win.
And so obviously it’s hard to leave feeling that, but… Yeah, I mean it was it was obviously a kind of a pinch me moment and a lot to be grateful for.
I think there are still a lot of positives we can take from the game.
But at the end of the day we didn’t get the job done and that’s something we need to now reflect on and take with us and be better come Friday.
It was a great match – I’m a neutral so it was great.
Yeah, it was very competitive. I mean, these are the games you want to play in as a player and I think it’s obviously an amazing environment and I think the supporters make it what it is, so to play in that is really special.
Definitely, again, a conflicted experience having grown up an Arsenal supporter, but just the men.
Just the men.
But yeah, I mean, it is definitely such a cool experience for me.
But again, you know, leaving, knowing that we didn’t get the job done, which is the ultimate takeaway and just you need to, you know, be better and focus on what’s next.
You’ve still got a huge lead at the top of the table though?
Yeah, yeah, but I think what makes it seem – from what I’m already gathering only a few weeks in – like they’re never settling, and any lead is not enough.
And we always want to just continue to make it bigger and bigger, so I think there are going to be a lot of really important lessons and takeaways from today that I think will be important for us going into this second half of the season.
Van Domselaar – “back”
You played really well. But those last two saves, you made a double save, how did it feel in the moment towards the end of the game?
Daphne van Domselaar: Yeah, I mean, there’s a few minutes left in the game then, and we were doing so well.
So, coming out and claiming those balls is something that you just want to just do.
Yeah, it felt really nice.
It feels like your shot-stopping is still there, but some things like distribution, you need time to work on those, don’t you?
Of course, yeah, I need to get back on the pitch, I need to make more minutes and of course that quality comes with minutes, but honestly I’m happy with what we’ve achieved today.
Maanum – “hectic”
How did it feel in the game today because it went through so many transitional passages of play where you were on top, City were on top, etc. How was it, coming on into that kind of den?
Frida Maanum: I think you’re having a good point.
It’s kind of a hectic game to come on to.
It’s a lot of things happening.
They’re obviously pushing for the goal and we’re trying to defend the lead, so I think it was about duels when you come on in these kind of games, and get into the game mentally.
I think we did really well to secure the three points and the win so I’m really happy with that.
Is that where it was won then, in the duels?
Yeah I think definitely, if you’re good with the duels.
Renée spoke about that before the game and at halftime, and I think that was crucial for us.
