We rose to third in the Barclays Women’s Super League with a 7-0 win at home to Leicester City on Wednesday, our biggest win under Renée Slegers, moving within touching distance of Chelsea and eight points shy of Manchester City, who we both have two games in hand on.
Frida Maanum, on her 100th WSL appearance, opened the scoring at Emirates Stadium by heading home a Taylor Hinds cross, before Smilla Holmberg buried her first Arsenal goal while playing as a right winger.
Maanum then registered her second assist with a cross that was headed over the goalkeeper and in by Stina Blackstenius, and the latter got in on the act again on the brink of half-time for our 100th WSL goal scored under Slegers.
Holmberg scored again early in the second half and Mariona Caldentey made it six shortly after coming off the bench, before Leah Williamson headed in for seven from a Holmber corner.
FIRST HALF
Our first chance came in the 14th minute as we went straight through the middle with Katie McCabe playing it to Maanum, found Blackstenius and she got the shot away but saw it go wide of the post.
We opened the scoring in the 25th minute though, Hinds swinging a cross in and Maanum heading it into the bottom left corner.
The latter was pulling the strings moments later, timing a pass perfectly for Holmberg, who had made a great run beyond left-back Ashleigh Neville. Holmberg slotted past Olivia Clark with aplomb for 2-0, settling comfortably into a right-wing position having previously been commonly deployed as a right-back.
It was almost 3-0 when Emily Fox carried the ball forward and rocketed one off the crossbar on her left foot. She then put a cross into a dangerous area that was headed just wide by Blackstenius.
Our super Swedish forward made no mistake with her next header though, nodding over Clark and into the back of the net for 3-0 from another Maanum delivery, after she had been found well by McCabe.
On the brink of half-time, three became four as McCabe’s ball over the top was poked past the goalkeeper by Victoria Pelova and Blackstenius was on hand to nestle it in for her brace.
SECOND HALF
Not letting our foot off the gas, we replaced Kim Little and Blackstenius with Mariona and Alessia Russo at the start of the second half.
It didn’t take long for us to increase our goalscoring tally further, as Olivia Smith’s cross was met by Holmberg, who tapped it across the line for 5-0.
Williamson and Caitlin Foord came on for Fox and Smith in the 52nd minute, and just three minutes later Mariona’s impact was felt as she picked out the left side of the goal for 6-0, having been setup by Laia Codina.
It was 7-0 in the 63rd minute as a brilliant corner was whipped in by Holmberg and Williamson made a great run before planting it past Katie Keane with her head.
Foord found Maanum on the counter-attack with 10 minutes to go and she forced a good save from Keane, before Sophie Harwood came on for McCabe.
Noemie Mouchon had a rare chance for Leicester with a shot that skimmed the outside of the post late on, and Maanum was again denied by Keane.
WHAT’S NEXT
We fly to France on Friday ahead of Saturday’s UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final second leg away to Lyon, which kicks off at 2pm UK time. Tickets are open to general sale.
Then, we’re back in WSL action away to Brighton & Hove Albion at Broadfield Stadium in Crawley for a 7.45pm kick-off on Wednesday. Get your tickets!
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