Match reportLiverpool suffer home loss to Arsenal in Women's Super League
A record crowd at Prenton Park saw Liverpool fall to a 2-0 defeat in their Barclays Women’s Super League clash with Arsenal on Sunday.
Second-half efforts from Vivianne Miedema and Caitlin Foord made the difference for the visitors in a tense affair in front of 6,085 fans.
Reds manager Matt Beard made eight changes to the side that lost at Manchester City the previous weekend, including the return of captain Niamh Fahey at the heart of the defence and a first WSL start for Sofie Lundgaard.
The away team started quickest, with Alessia Russo picking up a short pass in the box as early as the third minute, her effort partially blocked by Fahey and unable to trouble Rachael Laws.
The Gunners were dominating possession but without creating clear chances, although a corner on the quarter-hour mark brought a scramble inside the area that needed some last-ditch defending.
Five minutes later, Katie McCabe popped up on the Arsenal right and Laws had to claw her cross-shot away from the top corner.
Victoria Pelova fired a hit from range straight at the goalkeeper, while at the other end Shanice van de Sanden and Melissa Lawley were working hard across the forward line but without any real service.
Liverpool’s first genuine chance of the half didn’t arrive until its final 10 minutes, when Jasmine Matthews’ free-kick found its way to Grace Fisk at the back post.
She opted to cross instead of going for goal and the opportunity was lost, Gemma Bonner heading just wide when the ball was returned into the box.
Lotte Wubben-Moy headed into Laws’ gloves from Beth Mead’s corner a few minutes before the break, before the home side’s best move arrived in time added on as Lawley’s driven cross was met by Yana Daniels but her effort was just over.
The excellent Fahey cleared off the line after a cross squirmed past Laws, and the Reds would have been happy to go in all square.
It felt like it would need something special to break the deadlock and it arrived on the hour mark. Miedema found a pocket of space and unleashed a powerful drive from 25 yards that took a deflection off Bonner and flew past Laws to put Arsenal ahead.
The Reds ’keeper then made a great save from Foord to keep the deficit at one, though the respite was short-lived as Russo beat the offside trap down the right-hand side and squared for Foord to make it two.
Fahey later denied substitute Stina Blackstenius with a good tackle, before the Swede put another effort over the bar and Laws then denied her with her legs.
The Reds couldn’t find a way to threaten Manuela Zinsberger’s goal until injury time when Mia Enderby raced clear but was thwarted by the advancing goalkeeper.
TEAM
Laws, Fisk (Clark, 70), Matthews, Fahey, Bonner, Lundgaard (Höbinger, 70), Nagano, Holland, Van de Sanden (Enderby, 70), Lawley (Koivisto, 70), Daniels (Roman H., 59).
Unused subs: Micah, Kearns, Parry.
NEXT UP
Liverpool are back at Prenton Park in the WSL next Sunday, with Tottenham Hotspur their opponents in a 2pm GMT kick-off. Get your tickets for the game here.