Live Blog: Arsenal Women kick-off their WSL season against Manchester City at Emirates Stadium
Over 40,000 fans will cheer on the Gunners in North London
Live BLog Sunday Sep 22nd
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Full-time: Arsenal 2-2 Man City!
90+7' Zinsberger saves from Casparij! 2-2
90+5' Superb defending by Codina to clear from the feet of Shaw only a few yards from goal. Brilliant play from the centre-back. 2-2
90+5' Late goal or not, it's been a great advert for the WSL in front of over 41,000 fans at Emirates Stadium. A really intriguing game that has swung one way and the next throughout. 2-2
90+2' Kafaji looks very lively. The Swede picks up the ball from McCabe and goes for goal from the edge of the box but her effort bends wide. 2-2
90+1' Seven added minutes! 2-2
90' Greenwood's effort is straight into the Arsenal wall. 2-2
89' Nervous moments now... Little fouls Park in a good position on the edge of the box. 2-2
87' Kafaji now shoots over. Arsenal in the ascendancy in the final few minutes. 2-2
86' Caldentey finds Russo in the box but she passes back across goal instead of shooting. City end up winning a throw-in. 2-2
85' Park is booked for taking Russo out as Arsenal tried to launch a counter. 2-2
84' 41,818 is the official attendance. 2-2
81' Goal! Arsenal equalise through Beth Mead. Katie McCabe does brilliantly to get the ball forward and Rosa Kafaji crosses for Mead, who finds the net. It did look like a foul by McCabe in the build-up though. 2-2
80' Russo creates some space and shoots straight at Yamashita. 1-2
79' That's three clear-cut 1v1 chances Arsenal haven't been able to score now. Worrying signs if the Gunners can't get anything out of this game, especially with Jonas Eidevall's side having to score at least twice against BK Hacken on Thursday to reach the Champions League group stage. 1-2
75' What a chance! Arsenal miss another one-on-one opportunity, as Alessia Russo gets on the end of Emily Fox's long ball and shoots tamely straight at Yamashita. 1-2
75' And Chloe Kelly and Mary Fowler replace Aoba Fujino and Vivianne Miedema, who is applauded and cheered by the home fans. 1-2
74' Rosa Kafaji (WSL debut) and Lia Walti come on for Frida Maanum and Kyra-Cooney Cross. 1-2
72' Good save by Zinsberger to deny Shaw. That was far too easy for City who are the dominant force here. 1-2
70' Miedema's shot is kicked away by Zinsberger before her second attempt is claimed. 1-2
67' Jonas Eidevall has been booked for something or other. 1-2
65' Nearly an error by Yamashita as her clearance hits Caldentey but goes straight back to the goalkeeper. 1-2
63' Alessia Russo and Beth Mead replace Stina Blackstenius and Caitlin Foord. 1-2
62' Zinsberger beats away Miedema's left-footed shot before McCabe heads behind for a corner. 1-2
61' Shaw and Hemp then combine but the flag is raised. 1-2
59' That is a brilliant, audacious finish by Jess Park. Arsenal cleared their lines and Park volleys on the turn, in off the crossbar. The game has turned on its head! 1-2
53' Good defending by Codina to get in Shaw's way and win the ball back in the penalty area. Applauded by the home fans. 1-1
50' Arsenal are all over City at the start of this second half. 1-1
47' Foord has the ball in the net for Arsenal but she's flagged offside! 1-1
46' The second half is underway. 1-1
Stina Blackstenius put Arsenal in front in what has been a very good half for the Gunners- she should have had a hat trick with two more great chances. Viv Miedema’s equaliser was a fortunate one- all to play for!
Half-time: Arsenal 1-1 Man City.
45+1' Three minutes added on. 1-1
45' Another huge chance for Blackstenius! One on one with Yamashita but her shot is straight at the goalkeeper. 1-1
42' Goal! Who else, but Viv Miedema. She scores on her return to the Emirates, beating Wubben-Moy easily before her shot takes a massive deflection past Zinsberger. 1-1
40' City are forced into a change as Ouahabi is replaced by Kennedy. 1-0
38' City break through Shaw and Park but Fujino is tackled well and Arsenal eventually win a throw-in. 1-0
34' Great direct play from Arsenal. Wubben-Moy looks up and plays a delicious long ball in behind, which Caldentey volleys over the bar. 1-0
29' Maanum goes for goal from 30 yards but can't find the target. We know she can hit them! 1-0
27' Kiera Walsh, former Man City player and more recently Arsenal transfer target, is in attendance at Emirates Stadium. 1-0
26' Caldentey's shot is blocked for a corner which City scramble away before Cooney-Cross delivers for Blackstenius. Her header is wide. 1-0
24' Crucial block by McCabe at the back post to deny Fujino's shot- she recovered really well after leaving Fujino unmarked. 1-0
21' Zinsberger is called into action for the first time as Hemp drives for the top corner from range. The Austrian has to move across her goal and can claim the ball. 1-0
19' Exquisite control from Miedema who drives to the edge of the area before being strongly challenged by McCabe. 1-0
18' Good spell for City but Arsenal's centre-backs are able to thwart inroads into the box from Hemp and then Miedema. 1-0
14' That should have been 2-0! Blackstenius times her run in behind from a long ball and chooses to round Yamashita but her left-footed shot is just wide. 1-0
12' All of Arsenal's attacking play has been down the right wing- Foord and Fox have been outstanding together already this season and Foord is looking to drive at Ouahabi. 1-0
10' Fox tries to catch out Yamashita at her near post but the shoot lacks power and is saved. 1-0
9' It's a goal against the run of play, with Miedema almost putting City in front just moments before. Arsenal will not care. 1-0
8' GOAL! Frida Maanum slams the ball home from ten yards out after Foord's cross ended up at her feet via a touch from Blackstenius. Arsenal lead! 1-0
7' That would have been something. Arsenal give the ball away in midfield from Cooney-Cross' careless pass and Miedema shoots just wide with Zinsberger off her line. 0-0
6' Codina has the tough job of marking last season's Golden Boot winner, Bunny Shaw. Blackstenius breaks down the left but Arsenal go back into defence and the counter comes to nothing. 0-0
3' Both sides are wearing black armbands in memory of the late Maddy Cusack. 0-0
2' City manager Gareth Taylor is sitting up in the stands, so there will be no shenanigans between him and Jonas Eidevall this afternoon
1' We are underway! It's a blockbuster to kick off the WSL. 0-0
It's a really good atmosphere here in N5, with over 40,000 fans in attendance.
The teams are in the tunnel!
Blackstenius is preferred upfront to Russo for Arsenal, likely after her many goalscoring exploits against City in the last few seasons.
Miedema left the Gunners this summer after her contract came to an end, and joins a Manchester City side that would have won last season's WSL if not for a dramatic 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in May, where Stina Blackstenius scored a late brace.
Huge cheers from all around Emirates Stadium as Viv Miedema's name is announced by the tannoy.
Both Arsenal and City were in midweek action in Champions League qualifying, but to different outcomes. Arsenal lost 1-0 to BK Hacken in Sweden but City thrashed Paris FC 5-0 in the French capital.
Excellent touch by the Arsenal PA playing Twist and Shout as the sides warm up- we'll be hearing Mariona Caldentey's chant a fair bit today!
Arsenal legend Vivianne Miedema starts against her former side!
Arsenal make three changes from Wednesday's defeat to BK Hacken, with Foord, Blackstenius and Maanum replacing Mead, Russo and Kafaji.
Man City subs: Keating, Layzell, Coombs, Fowler, Kelly, Kennedy, Blindkilde Brown, Prior, Murphy.
Manchester City: Yamashita; Ouhabi, Greenwood, Alexiandri, Casparij; Hasegawa, Park; Hemp, Miedema, Fujino; Shaw.
Arsenal subs: van Domselaar, Reid, Wienroither, Walti, Kuhl, Godfrey, Kafaji, Mead, Russo.
Arsenal: Zinsberger, McCabe, Codina, Wubben-Moy, Fox; Cooney-Cross, Little; Caldentey, Maanum, Foord; Blackstenius.
The team news is here, and as always there are some big calls.
Good morning and welcome to the Emirates Stadium! It's Arsenal Women versus Manchester City as the WSL returns to North London, and games don't get much bigger than this...