Live Blog: Arsenal Women take on London City Lionesses in FA Cup fifth round
January signing Jenna Nighswonger makes her debut for the Gunners
![Live Blog: Arsenal Women take on London City Lionesses in FA Cup fifth round](/img/articleimages/article_images/2025-02-09-131826/8370_ib4a9326.jpg)
Credit- Suzy Lycett @boodlepim
Live BLog Sunday Feb 9th
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Full time: Arsenal 2-0 London City Lionesses.
90+5' Here's the free-kick, then. Oof! Boye-Hlorkah skims the crossbar with an excellent effort! 2-0
90+4' Ilestedt brings down her fellow Swede Jakbsson and London City have a late free-kick. Ilestedt is booked. 2-0
90+1' Off the crossbar! Maanum sets up Mariona who finds some space and smashes her shot off the underside of the bar. 2-0
89' Codina sends in a cross for Russo but she can't direct her header towards goal. The two sides just going through the motions now. 2-0
88' Kyra Cooney-Cross is the Arsenal Women Supporters Club Player of the Match. She's replaced by Amanda Ilestedt with two minutes remaining. 2-0
86' 2,483 is the official attendance at Meadow Park. Roddar and Campbell are replaced by Mengyu and Fitzgerald for the visitors. 2-0
85' Russo cuts inside and the ever-present Kumagai is back to make the block. 2-0
83' It's Blackstenius' 50th Arsenal goal. 2-0
82' Goal! Arsenal have their second with 8 minutes remaining. Maanum's shot is saved and Blackstenius converts the rebound. 2-0
81' Fox's first involvement is to flash the ball across goal from the right side, no one is there to meet it. 1-0
79' Emily Fox replaces Katie Reid at right-back. 1-0
77' Another change for the visitors as Asllani is withdrawn. Former Reims midfielder Meyong comes on- she played there under Leicester boss Amandine Miquel. 1-0
76' It's safe to say this has not been a classic FA Cup tie at Meadow Park, not one that will live long in the memory unless we get some late drama. 1-0
74' And a minute later, Brougham is booked for a foul on Russo. 1-0
73' Yellow card for Asllani, the first booking of the game after making one foul too many. 1-0
72' Great long ball to set up Blackstenius who collides with the brave Orman, rushing out to intercept. Foul on the keeper. 1-0
71' A foul on McCabe by Goldie gives Arsenal a free-kick from a very narrow angle. Cooney-Cross' delivery is flicked over the bar by Brougham. 1-0
70' Stina Blackstenius comes on for Cailtin Foord. 1-0
66' Maanum breaks into the box but her low cross is well defended. McCabe then jinks past a defender before Roddar clears. 1-0
65' She's able to continue as we get back underway. 1-0
63' Codina is being attended to after a clash of heads with Boye-Hlorkah. 1-0
58' Russo with a first time effort from the edge of the box, straight at the goalkeeper. 1-0
55' Wilde replaces Neville for London City. 1-0
53' Mariona sets up Maanum and her shot is blocked behind for a corner. Arsenal piling on some pressure now. 1-0
51' McCabe slips through Russo before the ball is worked out to Cooney-Cross, who shoots from range and draws a save from Orman. 1-0
46' Maanum is in behind after 18 seconds and her outside of the right foot shot is saved by Orman. 1-0
46' The second half is underway. 1-0
And Boye-Hlorkah comes on for Goodwin. Surprised to see her taken off but Boye-Hlorkah scored a hat-trick in round four against Fulham.
Lia Walti comes on for Jenna Nighswonger at half-time.
It almost feels a little condescending towards the lower-league club to allow them to play her, like you're confident enough in winning the game that it won't matter. Imagine if Goldie scores the winner today...
Have to say I'm not a fan of Arsenal allowing Teyah Goldie to play against them this afternoon as part of her loan deal. Giving a top Championship side any advantage in a key FA Cup game like this just doesn't seem right to me.
Half time: Arsenal Women 1-0 London City Lionesses.
45' Russo is well-watched by Imuran down to the byline and ends up winning a goal kick. Excellent defending from her and the visitors so far. 1-0
45+1' Three added minutes. 1-0
43' Foord looks to cross for Russo but it floats behind for a goal kick. 1-0
42' A nervy moment for Brougham who is closed down by Mariona and gets her clearance away in the nick of time. 1-0
39' What a chance! Asllani sends in a perfect cross into the six yard box and Jakobsson can't quite adjust her body to put the shot on target. Should have scored. 1-0
37' McCabe's corner is headed into the hands of Brougham by Codina, who's proving to be a nuisance at the back post. 1-0
35' Remember Codina scoring a similar header away to Southampton in pre-season as part of a brace that afternoon. 1-0
33' GOAL! Laia Codina with a brilliant header at the back post, meeting Cooney-Cross' floated ball in and powering it over the goalkeeper into the far corner! 1-0
31' Foord drives infield and plays a very clever ball through to Russo, who looked offside. She's closed down quickly and LCL make the block. 0-0
30' Also, Saki Kumagai in midfield, what a treat to watch her go about her business. Some coup for the Championship side to secure her services. 0-0
28' Close! Jakobsson gets into the box and curls a shot just wide of the far post. A warning from the away side. 0-0
25' Mariona's cross is then headed away. Russo works the ball to Foord and Arsenal go all the way back into defence. 0-0
25' Strong save by Orman to deny Russo's first effort of the game. That was travelling. 0-0
22' Another big block by Arsenal loanee Goldie to deny Maanum on the turn, she's been crucial for London City in defence. 0-0
20' Now a break in play as Campbell is down for London City and requiring treatment. She's hobbling off with the physios but I think she'll continue. 0-0
18' Now Imuran gets past Reid but her cross is claimed by Zinsberger. 0-0
17' Excellent defending by Wubben-Moy to use her body to defend against the dangerous Goodwin, eventually winning a free-kick. 0-0
16' A stoppage here as something has gone wrong with Reid's right boot. Cooney-Cross is helping her out, and now she's back up to continue. Cold hands trying to do her laces, perhaps? 0-0
15' Imuran works the ball into the box after a misplaced Arsenal throw-in but Asllani's cross can only find McCabe and the Gunners clear. 0-0
11' Cooney-Cross' corner is crossed back in by Foord who did superbly to work something from a poor ball in. McCabe sends it back in and Wubben-Moy and Maanum are both denied. 0-0
10' Lovely turn by Foord to burst past two midfielders, and Mariona can drive forward to win a corner. 0-0
7' Cooney-Cross takes the ball for a Sunday jog, weaving around the midfield before being brought down. All Arsenal so far. 0-0
4' The pitch at Meadow Park definitely looks a little worse for wear after Boreham Wood played on it yesterday. 0-0
3' McCabe looks to be playing at left-back with Nighswonger in midfield and Mariona on the left wing. 0-0
1' Underway! 0-0
Poor Jenna Nighswonger lines up next to Katie Reid as the teams enter the pitch- the height difference between left-back and right-back is notable!
Here come the teams!
Arsenal beat London City 4-0 in Dartford last season in the Conti Cup quarter-final, with Cloe Lacasse hitting a brace and Kim Little & Alessia Russo also on target.
No team has won more FA Cups than Arsenal's 14, but somehow the Gunners haven't lifted the trophy since 2015/16, beating Chelsea 1-0 in the final.
Arsenal's hopes of a third consecutive League Cup victory were extinguished by Manchester City on Thursday night, only a few days after the Gunners won 4-3 in the WSL against the same side.
London City travelled to the west of the capital to beat lower league Fulham 5-0 in the fourth round, whilst Arsenal beat Bristol City by the same scoreline.
Sweden legend Kosovare Asllani and five-time Champions League winner Saki Kumagai, who won the 2011 World Cup with Japan, both start for London City. Not bad for a Championship side!
London City have lofty aspirations of WSL football and beyond, and sit one point behind league leaders Birmingham City at the top of the Championship, with a game in hand.
Arsenal knew they would play London City in this fixture (if they beat Bristol City) ten days before Godfrey's loan move was confirmed, whereas Goldie joined LCL last summer.
Clarification on Goldie and Godfrey- I'm told that Goldie's loan deal allows her to play against Arsenal, but Godfrey's does not.
Alessia Russo is back upfront for Arsenal after two games in which Stina Blackstenius led the line. Katie McCabe is pushed up onto the wing with Nighswonger at left-back.
So Arsenal loanee Teyah Goldie starts against her parent club for the Championship side. There's no place in the squad for fellow Gunner Freya Godfrey.
LCL subs: Utteridge, Brown, Wilde, Meyong, Mengyu, Fitzgerald, Marashi, Boye-Hlorkah.
London City Lionesses: Orman, Neville, Brougham, Goldie, Campbell, Imuran, Kumagai, Roddar, Jakobsson, Goodwin, Asllani.
Arsenal subs: van Domselaar, Williams, Fox, Williamson, Catley, Walti, Blackstenius, Ilestedt.
Arsenal: Zinsberger; Nighswonger, Codina, Wubben-Moy, Reid; Mariona, Cooney-Cross; McCabe, Maanum, Foord; Russo.
Renee Slegers will give the specifics post match, I'm sure but Beth Mead and Rosa Kafaji are both out for Arsenal.
Team news is in, and Jenna Nighswonger makes her Arsenal debut.
Good afternoon and welcome to our coverage of Arsenal Women's FA Cup fifth round clash against London City Lionesses.