Live Blog: Arsenal Women begin their Conti Cup defence against Bristol City at Meadow Park
Arsenal beat Chelsea in last season's Conti Cup final and are kicking off this season's league cup campaign against Bristol City
Live BLog Thursday Nov 9th
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Arsenal Women travel to Leicester City on Sunday evening, and I'll be there at the King Power on behalf of the Gooner Fanzine.
Job done for Arsenal who kick off their Conti Cup campaign with three goals and three points. The defending champions will be more than happy with that display and result.
Full time: Arsenal Women 3-1 Bristol City! Struck's goal caused a scare but the first half efforts from McCabe and Wubben-Moy gave Arsenal enough of a platform, before Blackstenius sealed the deal deep into added time.
90+5' GOAL! Arsenal 3-1 Bristol City! Stina Blackstenius makes up for a huge miss a few moments earlier, finding the bottom corner with a composed finish after Foord's reverse pass.
90+4' Blackstenius with a horrible miss! After two Miedema shots were blocked the ball drops for Blackstenius but she blasts it a long way over the bar from close range. 2-1
90+3' Catley's deep corner almost reaches an Arsenal player and in the end it hits Struck and bounces behind for another corner. 2-1
90+2' Struck is receiving treatment for cramp and almost falls over as she tries to hobble off. She will continue though. 2-1
90' Pelova's turn to show off her fancy footwork and take the ball past Bristol City's press. Arsenal are seeing this game out now, and Miedema was then denied by Layzell's challenge after Kuhl played her in behind. Five added minutes. 2-1
87' Furness throws herself at a low cross from Wooley and the header flies wide. 2-1
85' Victoria Pelova replaces Kyra Cooney-Cross. 2-1
84' Bristol City will feel they are right in this game now and Arsenal have got to keep their composure. If the Robins can find an equaliser before full-time then we will head to penalties, with a bonus point up for grabs. 2-1
83' Teisar cannot generate the power required with a long range effort and it's an easy save for D'Angelo. 2-1
81' Miedema drills the ball across to the near post where Clark comes across to gather. 2-1
80' Catley fires a half-volley over the crossbar. 2-1
80' Foord cuts inside and strikes a vicious effort onto the crossbar! 2-1
79' Neat work by Lacasse who prods the ball into Blackstenius, but again Bristol are quick to defend in numbers. 2-1
78' Final change for Bristol City as Hayles is replaced by the Robins' leading goalscorer Thestrup. 2-1
77' Vivianne Miedema's header hits the crossbar! Expertly done by the striker to meet the corner but it was a difficult chance. 2-1
74' Sloppy from Arsenal again as Lacasse appeals that the ball has gone behind- the assistant disagrees and Bristol City can deliver a cross that is headed over. 2-1
71' The ball into the box had somehow flied past everyone and found Struck in the box, who set herself and fired the ball home. It looked like there was a slight deflection off of Catley but I could be wrong. 2-1
GOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Bristol City! Arsenal switch off at the back post and Sille Struck's shot is deflected past D'Angelo.
69' Maritz fouls Ward and Arsenal will make two more changes. Vivianne Miedema and Caitlin Foord replace Lina Hurtig and Frida Maanum. 2-0
66' Teasing delivery from Cooney-Cross but it is slightly over-hit and will only lead to a goal kick. 2-0
65' Maritz is flattened by Furness and wins a free-kick. 2-0
63' Cloe Lacasse and Steph Catley come on for Beth Mead and Katie McCabe. 2-0
61' Rachel Furness is introduced for Bristol City, having scored in the WSL meeting between these two sides- Emily Syme is replaced. 2-0
59' Clever backheel from Hurtig but she can't pick out the on-rushing Maanum in the penalty area. 2-0
57' Maanum wins a free kick in a decent position. Cooney-Cross and McCabe stand over the ball and the latter sees her shot blocked by the base of the wall. 2-0
55' Cooney-Cross goes for goal from range on her left foot and the shot is straight into the hands of Clark. 2-0
52' Maritz slides the ball across to Mead who can't get a shot away in a good position. 2-0
50' Kuhl's ball over the top flies behind for a goal kick with no attempt made by Maritz to give chase. 2-0
Change for Bristol City as Layzell and Jones replace Aspin and Rodgers. 2-0
47' Maanum fires into the sidenetting following some great work by Mead to beat Mustaki and drill the ball into the box. 2-0
46' No changes for either side and we're back underway for the second half. 2-0
The teams race out of the tunnel for the second half!
Conti Cup champions Arsenal will host Tottenham Hotspur at Meadow Park after travelling to Southampton in the rest of this group stage campaign.
Bristol City sit 11th in the WSL so the Conti Cup will not be on the forefront of Lauren Smith's mind. The Robins look organised but have shown little threat in attack. Could Rachel Furness or Jamie-Lee Napier be introduced?
Arsenal will be pleased with their first half display considering how difficult they found breaking down Bristol City's back five in the WSL only a few weeks ago.
Half time: Arsenal Women 2-0 Bristol City. Comfortable for the Gunners so far, with goals from Frida Maanum and Lotte Wubben-Moy giving them control of this Conti Cup tie at Meadow Park.
45+1' One minute of added time at the end of this first half. 2-0
43' Blackstenius is flagged offside again in the penalty area as Wubben-Moy's floated delivery reached the Swedish striker. 2-0
41' Hurtig tees up Maanum 18 yards from goal and the angle opens up for a shot that flies wide of the top corner. 2-0
40' Chelsea loanee Aspin with a well-timed crunching tackle on Hurtig, before the Robins break forward. Ward's shot is blocked by Maritz. 2-0
36' GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Bristol City! Lotte Wubben-Moy nods the ball in off the post from McCabe's corner- a great leap and flicked header from the defender who celebrates in front of the North Bank.
36' Wubben-Moy threads the ball into the feet of Maanum and her shot is deflected behind. Louise Quinn comments that it was a Williamson-esque pass from Wubben-Moy. 1-0
34' Cooney-Cross' delivery is headed away by Ward. 1-0
34' Hurtig drives into the box from the left and wins a corner. 1-0
31' Excellent recovery challenge from Maritz to deny Ward on the edge of Arsenal's box- a proper slide tackle. 1-0
30' Nearly, very nearly, another spectacular Katie McCabe goal against Bristol City. She takes aim from a long way out and it's a good stop by Clark to tip the ball over. 1-0
27' Mead laid the ball back to Maanum who timed her run and finish to perfection, leaving no chance for Clark in between the sticks. 1-0
27' GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Bristol City! Frida Maanum with a cracking strike in off the underside of the crossbar.
26' Maanum is closed down quickly on the edge of the box and again Arsenal are forced back. Teisar fouls Hurtig just inside the Arsenal half. 0-0
23' Good delivery and Wubben-Moy heads over the crossbar. 0-0
22' Kuhl does well again to find Maanum, who slips through Hurtig into the box. Her touch is excellent but Bristol defend well. Arsenal corner... 0-0
22' Mead tries to link up with Blackstenius in the box but the City defence is compact and there is no way through. 0-0
21' D'Angelo easily claims Bull's deep cross from the right flank. The home crowd try to inject some energy into this game. 0-0
19' Nearly a miscommunication between Beattie and D'Angelo but the Scot comes across and clears. 0-0
16' Poor tackle on Beth Mead who escapes unharmed. 0-0
13' Kathrine Kuhl has shown some real muscle to her game, something that we haven't always seen. Confident and strong in the tackle in the early stages. 0-0
9' Mead's shot is drilled towards goal and deflected behind. Blackstenius had been played through on goal and took the ball around Clark before pulling the pass back. McCabe's corner is punched away. 0-0
7' Bristol's corner is headed away at the near post. 0-0
7' Beattie goes through the back of Rodgers and the referee blows for a free kick. McCabe then concedes the game's first corner. 0-0
5' McCabe's dainty cross is headed away with Mead running in at the back post. Arsenal's attack came from a great tackle by Kuhl. 0-0
3' Maritz pulls back Ward and Bristol City win a free kick on the halfway line. Nothing comes of it and the Arsenal defence keep possession. 0-0
3' It's Hurtig on the left, Blackstenius through the middle and Mead on the right in Arsenal's forward line. 0-0
1' Stina Blackstenius delightfully chips the ball into the back of the net within 16 seconds but Frida Maanum was offside. 0-0
1' Both sides take the knee and we are underway! 0-0
Pre-match huddles as North London Forever now rings out and is belted out by the Arsenal fans.
The Last Post echoes out around Meadow Park, and kick off is moments away.
There will be a minute's silence before kick-off with Remembrance Day fast approaching.
Both sides are going through the pre-match handshakes. Arsenal in their red and white home colours and Bristol City in yellow and green.
Here come the players!
Bristol City picked up a crucial win away at West Ham United thanks to goals from Thestrup, Powell and Aspin.
Arsenal beat Manchester City 2-1 in the WSL on Sunday with goals from Steph Catley and Stina Blackstenius. Kim Little had a penalty saved.
Both teams have finished their warm ups and are back in the dressing rooms. The Meadow Park faithful are already making themselves heard!
Two Irish legends are part of the coverage on Arsenal's website tonight, with Emma Byrne and Louise Quinn sharing their views on the game. I would expect one of the two to be commemorating Katie McCabe's landmark game with her before kick-off.
Make sure to follow Gooner Fanzine editor @laythy29 who is watching on from the Meadow Park press box this evening. I'm reporting from home but will be at the King Power on Sunday for Arsenal's WSL trip to Leicester.
Bristol City goalkeeper Kaylan Marckese is unavailable for the away side as she is on loan from Arsenal.
Kim Little and Lia Walti are usually mainstays in the Arsenal midfield, but both have reportedly been rested for tonight's Conti Cup tie.
The rain is coming down at Meadow Park as both sides warm up under the floodlights.
Action tonight comes from Group D of the Continental Tyres League Cup. Arsenal sit fourth in the group having not played a game- Reading are bottom with a goal difference of -7. Bristol City have one point to their name after drawing with Southampton before losing on penalties to miss out on a bonus point.
Katie McCabe is making her 200th appearance for Arsenal tonight, and Bristol City will have their work cut out against her after the Ireland captain's masterclass at Ashton Gate last month. Two McCabe thunderbolts helped Arsenal come from behind to win in the WSL.
Bristol City's substitutes: Davies, Powell, Layzell, Furness, Napier, Thestrup, Jones, Woolley.
Here are the Arsenal substitutes: Zinsberger, Williams, Ilestedt, Catley, Pelova, Miedema, Foord, Lacasse, Russo.
It's Mead's first start since her ACL injury in November last year.
The big news for Arsenal is that deadline day signing Kyra Cooney-Cross makes her full debut for the Gunners. First starts of the season are also handed to Beth Mead, Lina Hurtig and Kathrine Kuhl.
Rachel Furness, goalscorer for Bristol City in their defeat to Arsenal at Ashton Gate, makes the Robins' bench along with Jamie-Lee Napier, who assisted Furness' header.
Bristol City: Clark, Bull, Aspin, Connolly, Struck, Mustaki, Syme, Rodgers, Teisar, Hayles, Ward.
Arsenal: D'Angelo; McCabe, Wubben-Moy, Beattie, Maritz; Kuhl, Maanum, Cooney-Cross; Hurtig, Blackstenius, Mead
Hello and welcome to another live blog! It's Arsenal Women versus Bristol City, and team news is in...