major events
42 minutes: Out of post! Holland crashed in a cross from outside and McCabe came close to a superb suicide goal, his attempted clearance bouncing off the woodwork.
41 minutes: McCabe gave away a free-kick after fouling Zara Shaw in an aerial duel. Liverpool played it short, but lost possession early.
37 minutes: Rousseau appears to be behind one-on-one after a quick turnover, but she is well offside.
34 minutes: Liverpool won another free-kick, Holland went ahead again. His delivery was cleared and Caldenti launched a lightning counter-attack. The pace slowed in the final third as Arsenal tried to push numbers forward. Manam got the ball at his feet on the edge of the box, but fired wide.
32 minutes: Emily Fox turned in a cross from the right flank, finding Rousseau, but the forward could only get a brief glance at the ball as it was deflected harmlessly away.
30 minute: Frieda Mannham gave the ball away cheaply and this almost cost Arsenal the combination of Mia Enderby and Smith, but were unable to knock down the final ball.
Missed the penalty!
Caldenti steps up to take the spot kick and sends Mika the wrong way with a comfortable run-up. Unfortunately, it’s so composed that it hits the ball off the base of the post. This is a big disappointment for the host team.
Penalty to Arsenal!
It just got worse for Liverpool. Bonner caught Rousseau as he entered the box and the Arsenal forward went down. The referee points to the spot.
23 minutes: Mead has begun to cause problems for Liverpool, stretching their back three. The host team continues to look weak in defence.
Target Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal (Rousseau 20)
Arsenal gained possession of the ball and began to increase the pace. McCabe fired the ball into the box and Hinds cleared the ball at the expense of a corner.
McCabe took it, sending a deceptively bouncy delivery at the near post. Liverpool failed to clear, Tegan Mika hesitated on goal and Alessia Russo fired wide from close range. This is his fifth goal in three matches.
16 minutes: Beth Mead makes her first real attack up front, entering from behind on the left. She cuts the ball back across the box, but no one can get on the end of it.
15 min: Leah Williamson bowled the ball in the middle of the park, Hinds and Smith combined to push it forward. Arsenal’s defense managed to recover and quash the threat.
12 minutes: Good opportunity! Taylor Hinds hit a lovely cross from the left, Arsenal failed to clear their lines and it went to Smith, who fired a shot just beyond the stanchion.
10 minutes: Liverpool won another free-kick and Seri Hollande played it past Fuka Nagano, who scored. The ball eventually comes back to Holland, but his shot is blocked.
5 minutes: Mariona Caldente gave away the free-kick with a harsh challenge in a dangerous position. Liverpool had the ball in the box and Gemma Bonner fell after tangling with McCabe and Olivia Smith, but despite some promising appeals, there was no penalty. There really wasn’t much to it.
4 minutes: Both sides size each other up, probing wide areas for a quick opening without success. Katie McCabe found Caitlin Ford with a wide cross-field ball and she fired a shot over the crossbar, although the flag for offside went up regardless.
launch!
You’ll Never Walk Alone echoes around the stadium, players shake hands, both sides take a knee to applaud and, without further ado, we’re headed to Merseyside.
Elsewhere, Manchester City lost 2-1 at Everton. Arsenal now have a chance to finish in the top two after Chelsea dropped a point against Leicester yesterday.
Speaking to Sky Sports before the match, Beard has given some insight into what has been a difficult few months for Liverpool. “It’s been a good week, a positive week,” he said. “A lot has been thrown at us in the first half of the season, we’ve got a small team, as everyone can see.
“When you have a small team, it impacts you. If you look at the programme, the team sheet, it is difficult when you have to keep changing the team because you don’t have continuity.
Arsenal’s defensive improvement has been one of the most notable under Slager. In their nine matches, they have conceded only three goals. Meanwhile, Liverpool conceded four goals against Manchester United last weekend. They need a serious change in fortunes here.
Liverpool’s home form has been particularly poor this season, Matt Beard’s team scored only two points on their ground. Meanwhile, Arsenal are unbeaten away from home in the league. The omens favor the visitors.
team news
Liverpool: Mika, Fisk, Clarke, Bonner, Matthews, Hinds, Nagano, Shaw, Holland, Enderby, Smith.
Arsenal: Van Domselaar, Fox, Williamson, Catley, Caldanti, Mead, McCabe, Mannam, Ford, Rousseau, Cooney-Cross.
Preface
This is the last round of matches before the WSL’s winter break and Arsenal are set to take on Liverpool, the league’s in-form team after Chelsea. Since stepping in as Arsenal’s interim head coach following the departure of Jonas Idwell, Renee’s sluggers have presided over a nine-match unbeaten streak in all competitions and will be aiming to extend that run at St Helens Stadium this afternoon .
As it stands, Liverpool are in seventh place and have lost their last three league games on the bounce and have failed to score in any of them. They had good luck in the League Cup in midweek, beating Everton 4–0 in the Merseyside derby and will be hoping to continue that momentum, but they were 2nd when Arsenal last visited in January. Had lost by -0.