Live Blog: Arsenal Women host Leicester City at Emirates Stadium
Over 40,000 fans will watch on as the Gunners look to strengthen their grip on European football
Live BLog Sunday Apr 21st
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Arsenal strengthen their grip on European football for next season in front of 42,820 fans.
It was an all-Lionesses affair on the scoresheet as Beth Mead notches another brace either side of Alessia Russo’s strike.
Full time: Arsenal 3-0 Leicester City!
90+4' Takarada is replaced by Pelgande, whilst Fox and McCabe are withdrawn for Wienroither and Codina. 3-0
90+3' Zinsberger has to get down low to save substitute O'Brien's shot after Arsenal gave the ball away cheaply. 3-0
90+2' Miedema fires wide at the back post after a corner was headed on. 3-0
90+1' Seven added minutes. 3-0
90' How on earth have Arsenal not added a fourth? Lacasse's cross somehow beats Miedema before Mead's powerful shot is blocked. 3-0
87' Miedema's looping header is saved. 3-0
86' A problem with some part of the ref's equipment has forced a delay as he is attended to by the fourth official. 3-0
84' Rantala's corner is headed away before the second ball is missed by Zinsberger and headed over by a Leicester player. 3-0
82' Arsenal also make a double change, with Lacasse and Miedema on for Foord and Russo. Petermann is also replaced by Whelan for Leicester. 3-0
81' O'Brien and Ale replace Rose and Bott. 1-0
78' Goal! Goal! It looked as if Russo had made it three but her header was saved on the line. The ball breaks to Mead she prods it into the net- 3-0
75' Goal! Alessia Russo continues her fine form to make it 2-0! She collects Catley’s pass and slams the ball into the bottom corner. 2-0
73' 42,820 fans at Emirates Stadium, meaning that only the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley will have a higher attendance today. 1-0
71' Maanum's cross just evades Russo. Arsenal could do with a second goal in a game that has gone a little flat. 1-0
65' Welcome back, Frida Maanum! The midfielder replaces Blackstenius. 1-0
63' Fox tries her luck on her weaker foot and draws a super save from Kop. 1-0
62' Frida Maanum is preparing to come on. 1-0
61' Plenty of Arsenal pressure now as Blackstenius feeds the ball into Fox. Her tame shot presents itself as an easy save for Kop. 1-0
57' Great cross by Fox and Foord meets it, but her shot is straight at Kop. 1-0
55' Arsenal win a free-kick to the left of the penalty area. Mead's delivery is dealt with by Howard before Russo then balloons a volley over. 1-0
53' Mead's cross fizzes across the six yard box before McCabe volleys narrowly wide. 1-0
50' Yellow card for Kim Little after she hauls down Rose. Momiki's free-kick pings around in the penalty area and eventually the offside flag is raised. 1-0
49' Foord is involved again, cutting inside and firing a shot at Kop. 1-0
48' Shouts for a penalty for a nudge on Foord in the box are waved away- good decision from Ade Soneye. 1-0
46' The teams are back out for the second half, and we're underway. 1-0
At half time, Lia Walti, Kayla’s Marckese, Kyra Cooney-Cross and Amanda Ilestedt lifted the Conti Cup in front of the Emirates crowd!
Half time: Arsenal 1-0 Leicester. The Foxes will be pleased with a narrow first half in which they have tested Zinsberger, but Beth Mead's goal separates the two sides.
45+1' One additional minute. 1-0
42' Foord has been lively again, dancing round her marker and forcing a block from Howard. 1-0
39' Just as I write that, the Foxes come forward. Momiki's cross is hung up to the back post and reaches Tierney. The midfielder digs out a shot and Zinsberger makes a good save to deny an equaliser. 1-0
38' Mead's goal has somewhat taken the sting out of the game for Leicester. The Arsenal fans are enjoying themselves, waving their red and white scarves above their heads. 1-0
34' Williamson ends up at right-back as Arsenal come forward and sends a defender the wrong way before her cross is headed away. McCabe can then win a corner. 1-0
31' Leicester's defence were gradually being opened up by Arsenal and that was a neat move. 1-0
28' Goal! Beth Mead puts Arsenal in front with a deft finish past Kop after Foord threaded the ball into her path. 1-0
24' Catley is dragged down by Momiki and Arsenal have a free-kick a good 30 yards from goal. McCabe's effort is saved by Kop. 0-0
22' Arsenal win a corner after Howard's excellent tackle on Blackstenius. It's flicked on by Foord but headed away. 0-0
19' Brilliant save by Zinsberger to keep out Momiki's long-range effort that looked destined for the top corner! 0-0
18' Rose's low cross is drilled away by an Arsenal defender. Man City are 1-0 up against West Ham after less than a minute. 0-0
17' I'm told that the stream for this game is having problems on the Arsenal website and FA Player, so this live blog is the place to be! Leicester moving the ball well so far. 0-0
13' An enjoyably open game so far with half-chances for both sides. 0-0
11' Foord does well and cuts the ball back to Mead, and her shot is deflected harmlessly over the bar. 0-0
11' A similar move at the other end as Cayman threads the ball into Petermann, but the flag is raised. 0-0
9' Excellent ball in behind to Mead from Blackstenius, but the England star takes too long to make a decision and is tackled well- should have pulled the trigger. 0-0
9' Arsenal are slow to clear a series of Leicester balls into the box but eventually Williamson can tackle Momiki. The resulting cross is claimed by Zinsberger. 0-0
6' Petermann gets in behind down the left flank but is forced back. Jonas Eidevall talked up the dangers pose by Leicester's front three in his pre-match press conference, with Jutta Rantala a certain threat. 0-0
3' Taken short before Mead's cross is cleared. 0-0
3' Arsenal win an early corner after Blackstenius' cross is blocked behind. 0-0
1' We are underway! 0-0
There will be a round of applause in memory of Sir Chips Keswick.
Victoria Pelova is making her 50th appearance for Arsenal.
It finished 2-2 between Man United and Tottenham after a late leveller from Maya Le Tissier.
Here come the teams...
Both teams are in the dressing rooms as the flamethrowers are assembled pitchside!
Some presentations pitchside- Edu Gaspar presents Stina Blackstenius with her goal of the month and player of the month award before Lia Walti is commemorated by Vinai Venkatesham after recently bringing up her 150th Arsenal appearance.
Leicester are winless in their last four WSL games after beating Bristol City 5-2. The Foxes were rocked by the suspension, and eventual departure of manager Willie Kirk, after he was found to have had a relationship with a player.
Leicester can mathematically still be relegated but in reality are a comfortable 11 points clear of bottom side Bristol City. The 10th placed Foxes recently reached the FA Cup semi-finals, but lost to Tottenham in extra time.
With Manchester United losing to Spurs, Liverpool are fourth in the WSL, eight points behind Arsenal in third. The Gunners will all but seal European football with a win over Leicester.
Arsenal CEO Vinai Venkatesham has been chatting to Jonas Eidevall pitchside- Venkatesham will step down this summer following 14 years at the club.
Over 40,000 fans are expected to flood through the turnstiles for today's game.
Arsenal and Leicester are both warming up.
If you would like to go behind the scenes in the press box here at Emirates Stadium, head over to my TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fcardy_/video/7360292192889408800
Wubben-Moy's injury is reportedly not serious, but Catley is preferred to a trio of Arsenal centre-backs on the bench- Goldie, Reid and Codina.
A correction from the earlier lineup- Katie McCabe replaces Lotte Wubben-Moy, meaning Steph Catley will start at CB.
Vivianne Miedema has also progressed well from injury and is back on the bench!
Arsenal make one change from the 5-0 win over Bristol City, as Manu Zinsberger replaces Sabrina D'Angelo in goal.
Frida Maanum is back in the Arsenal squad for the first time since March 31, when she collapsed in the Conti Cup final.
Leicester subs: Leitzig, Ale, Green, Palmer, Pelgander, Whelan, Siemsen, O'Brien, Baker.
Arsenal subs: D'Angelo, Williams, Codina, Goldie, Wienroither, Reid, Maanum, Lacasse, Miedema.
Leicester: Kop, Tierney, Bott, Howard, Rose, Rantala, Petermann, Cayman, Takarada, Thibaud, Momiki.
Arsenal: Zinsberger; Catley, Wubben-Moy, Williamson, Fox; Little, Pelova; Foord, Russo, Mead; Blackstenius.
Five minutes until team news- will Frida Maanum return to action for the Gunners, and are Laia Codina and Kyra Cooney-Cross fit enough to feature?
Good afternoon, and a very warm welcome to our Gooner Fanzine live blog. Freddie Cardy is here to take you through all the action as Arsenal Women welcome Leicester City to Emirates Stadium.