Arsenal dominated in today’s game against Reading. With the first goal coming from Kim Little taking a penalty just four minutes into the game after Easther Mayi Kith brought Katie McCabe down.
Frida Maanum scored the second goal just before halftime with the pass coming from Caitlin Foord, making it 2-0 lead for the Gunners. Arsenal kept the momentum high and pilling on pressure which lead to former Arsenal player Emma Mukandi scoring an own goal, taking them to 3-0.
Maanum nearly had a second goal but the offside flag went up. However, Williamson soon made it four goals for The Gunners.
Leah Williamson played in midfield with an impressive performance against Reading and made her first goal for Arsenal in over a year. Williamson had a very good game and was named Player of the Match.
Williamson said: “We want to get to a point where all we focus on is the football, but whilst there are things to fight for I’d be doing everybody who came before us a disservice by not doing that.”
“Sometimes you can’t explain it, you just need it to click. We’ve been together as a family for a while now and you can see a shift. There is a change in everybody, everybody believes.”
Arsenal carried on to create chances throughout the second half but Moloney kept finding a way to stop them from adding to their goals. Blackstenius nearly made it five goals but sent it wide just missing the goal.
Although Arsenal had most of the possession throughout the game, Reading kept pushing leading to Lily Woodham having an attempt to score, forcing Manuela Zinsberger to make the save. This ended the game 4-0 to Arsenal.
Jonas Eidvella told Sky Sports: “It’s just three points. But after the week we’ve had, we’ve improved and developed. Today was some of the best attacking football I’ve seen us play. Sometimes you can learn a lot from defeats. What has changed has been the work we’ve done on the training ground, the belief, the energy. Maybe the Conti Cup final was the catalyst for it.”
“A trophy helps, of course. It showed everyone what we are capable of. Why not try to repeat it and even try to go a little bit higher every time we play?”
“I enjoy going to work every day. The group is feeling the same thing. We’re only looking one game ahead. We know we have a tight squad and sometimes that means we have to be versatile. Let’s embrace that challenge and try our best.”
Arsenal now have just over a week until their next game against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Women’s League but Reading will face Chelsea in the Vitality Women’s FA Cup quarter-final next weekend.
Arsenal: Zinsberger, Wienroither (Pelova 60’), Wubben-Moy, Carvalho Souza, Maritz, Wälti (Queiroz Costa 84’), Little, Williamson (Kühl 72’), Foord (Hurtig 72’), Maanum (Blackstenius 60’), McCabe.
Subs: Beattie, D’Angelo, Hurtig, Marckese.
Goals: Little 4’pen, Maanum 44’, Mukandi 47’og, Williamson 69’
Reading: Moloney, Bryson, Mayi Kith, Evans, Mukandi, Eikeland, Vanhaevermaet (Troelsgaard 58’), Moore, Wellings, Rowe, Harries (Woodham 58’)
Subs: Wade, Hendrix, Caldwell, Jane, Burns, Meadows-Tuson
