Arsenal kick-start their Women’s Super League campaign with a comfortable victory over newly promoted London City Lionesses at the Emirates Stadium in front of a bumper 38,000-plus crowd on the opening day.
Despite London City Lionesses taking a shock lead via a Kosovare Asllani penalty early on, the Gunners produced a dominating second half that saw them extend their lead to four goals, after coming back from behind to go into the interval two-one ahead.
Olivia Smith and Chloe Kelly put the Gunners in front before half-time, with Stina Blackstenius and Frida Maanum going on to bag the following two goals late on in the second half.
There was no Leah Williamson in the Gunners squad this afternoon, with the club captain suffering a knee injury in England’s triumphant Euro 2025 final win, to the same knee she tore her ACL on back in 2023; however, she was on hand before kick off to boast the UEFA Champions League trophy that was won back in May.
It was a debut to remember for Barclays player of the match Olivia Smith, who over the summer became the first ever female player to be sold for over £1 million, when the 21-year-old joined from Liverpool back in July.
However, that record was broken by today’s opponents, London City, who announced the signing of Grace Geyoro for a world record fee for a female player from Paris Saint-Germain, for $1.9 million on deadline day, but the paperwork was not complete in time for the French International to be involved in today’s game.
Despite Arsenal being on top in the opening quarter, it was London City who took the lead through a penalty that was awarded by referee Stacey Fullicks, when 18-year-old Katie Reid slid in with a late challenge on Kosovare Asllani.
The Swedish captain made no mistake in stepping up to the spot, converting the ball into the bottom left-hand corner to make it 1-0 to Jocelyn Prêcheur’s side inside the opening 15 minutes of this Super League opening day tie.
Arsenal did manage to find an equaliser inside half an hour, and it was some strike from the debutant Olivia Smith, who dazzled her way past World Cup winner María Pérez, before firing an absolute rocket of an effort that flew into Elene Lete’s goal to make it 1-1.
OLIVIA SMITH, TAKE A BOW 🤯
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) September 6, 2025
The @ArsenalWFC record signing with one of the BEST debut goals you will see 🚀#BarclaysWSL pic.twitter.com/9zJjZ5xpGD
Slegers’ side then almost took to lead just seconds after the Lionesses took their centre kick, when they picked up the dead ball, which led to Mariona Caldentey slicing a through ball to Victoria Pelova, but Saki Kumagai was there to block the Dutch international’s effort at goal behind for a corner.
Smith came close to adding a second when she got onto the end of Alessia Russo’s cross to the back post, but the former Canadian winger’s diagonal connection of the ball spun just wide.
With constant pressure peppering the Lionesses’ goal, Arsenal finally found a way in front and it was the women who won England the Euro’s this summer Chloe Kelly who was in the right place, at the right time to comfortably finish off Russo’s pass off the back off Emily Fox though ball to make it 2-1 to the Gunners, two minutes into the additional three that was added onto the first half.
Half time: Arsenal 2-1 London City Lionesses
London City made one change ahead of the second half, with already booked Katie Zelem coming off for 33-year-old Julia Roddar in midfield.
The hosts had a chance to add a third early after the interval, when Smith made a surging run down the right flank, before teeing up Pelova, who fluffed her lines when her clear shot at goal went just over the bar.
Refit Imran came close to unintentionally scoring an equaliser for the visitors when the Nigerian international’s supposed cross smacked off the inside of the post, giving Arsenal some warning signs that the game was not done yet at this stage.
An hour gone and Renée Slegers opted to make her first substitutes of the afternoon, with Victoria Pelova and the scorer of the opening goal – Olivia Smith, coming off for Frida Magnum and Australian winger Caitlin Foord.
With just under ten minutes to go, Arsenal sealed the win with a third goal, and it was Stina Blackstenius, who linked up with fellow sub Beth Mead, to flick Mead’s cross past Lete and into the net to make it 3-1.
Arsenal were not done and went on to add a fourth goal mere moments after the third, and it was Mead and Blackstenius linking up again, this time to tee up Frida Maanum to head home Mead’s cross to the back post to make it from three to 4-1 in the space of just one minute and 32 seconds.
Taylor Hinds was the fifth and final sub for Renée Slegers’ side, with the former Liverpool and Everton full-back coming on for Ireland’s Katie McCabe with just four minutes left of the 90.
Olivia Smith was inevitably awarded the Barclays player of the match award for her impactful debut for the Gunners.
Full time: Arsenal 4-1 London City Lionesses
Arsenal: 1. Van Domselaar (GK), 2. Fox, 26. Reid, 7. Catley, 11. McCabe (24. Hinds), 10. Little (C), 21. Pelova (12. Maanum), 18. Kelly (9. Mead), 8. Caldentey, 15. Smith (19. Foord), 23. Russo (25. Blackstenius)
Unused Subs: 1. Zinsberger (GK), 3. Wubben-Moy, 5. Codina, 32. Rooney-Cross
Goals: Smith 29’, Kelly 45+2’, Blackstenius 83, Maanum 84’
Bookings: Kelly 64’
Head coach: Renée Slegers
London City: 77. Lete (GK), 2. Fernández, 13. Linari, 8. Kumagai, 33. Kennedy (5. Goldie), 21. Zelem (16. Roddar), 6. Pérez (11. Jakobsson), (15. Franssi), 25. Imuran (7. Corrales), 17. Parris, 9. Asllani (C), 23. Goodwin
Unused Subs: 32. Orman (GK), 19. Lindström, 26. Sangaré, 27. Henson
Goals: Asllani 17’ (Penalty)
Bookings: Parris 20’, Zelem 28’, Kumagai 58’
Manager: Jocelyn Prêcheur
Venue: Emirates Stadium
Referee: Stacey Fullicks
Attendance: 13,142
