Alessia Russo scored twice to help Arsenal Women beat Washington Spirit 2-1 in the American capital as Jonas Eidevall’s side got their pre-season campaign underway.

New signing Rosa Kafaji made her debut from the bench, with a number of young players handed opportunities.

Player ratings:

Manu Zinsberger - 6/10

Pulled off a brilliant save to deny the initial shot, but couldn’t secure the rebound, allowing Sarr to score the equaliser. Struggled to play out from the back at times. 

Leah Williamson - 7/10

Occasionally caught out by balls over the top, Williamson was steadily growing in confidence with the ball at her feet. Her impressive passing range enabled Arsenal to push forward on multiple occasions.

Katie Reid - 8/10

Similar to Williamson, Reid faced challenges when Sarr made runs in behind. However, she made a crucial, goal-saving block to deny Washington Spirit, though a goal was conceded shortly afterward. Despite that, Reid looks fully at home in this team, consistently making vital interceptions.

Vivienne Lia - 6/10

Lia struggled at times to cope with the pace of Washington Spirit’s wide players but consistently looked to push forward and support Arsenal’s attack. Playing in the fullback position was always going to be a challenging test for her.

Katie McCabe - 6/10

McCabe frequently looked to drive forward, but like Lia, she found it challenging to contain Washington Spirit's tricky wingers.

Kim Little - 7/10

Little played a deeper role, allowing Maanum to push further forward. Though she lost possession in midfield a few times, she consistently looked to drive the team forward, seeking out Russo with through balls or picking out wide players making runs.

Frida Maanum - 6/10

Maanum, another Arsenal midfielder who struggled to make an impact at times. She did make a clever run in behind and showed excellent control to bring the ball down, but was ultimately caught offside.

Kathrine Kuhl - 6/10

Kühl played in a deeper role as part of Jonas' experiment to identify a suitable rotational option for Walti in the defensive midfield position. However, she found it difficult to get involved and struggled to get on the ball at times.

Freya Godfrey - 7/10

Godfrey showed promise out wide, though her final decision-making was sometimes lacking. She frequently drove forward to the edge of the box, looking to cut the ball back for teammates in the box.

Alessia Russo - 9/10

Russo's presence in the box was key, as her sharp positioning led to the first goal. Her hold-up play was once again effective in driving Arsenal forward. She was extremely clinical in front of goal. 

Beth Mead - 6/10

Mead had difficulty getting on the ball at times while playing in the wide position. She frequently dropped deeper than Russo and Maanum to try to influence the game.

Lotte Wubben-Moy - (Sub, 45’) - 8/10

Since coming on, she displayed confident defending, helping to steady the Arsenal backline. Her interceptions were crucial, as was her ability to drive forward with the ball.

Rosa Kafaji - (Sub, 45’) - 8/10

Looked impressive since coming on, looked to combine with Russo. As she moved into the number ten position, she became a key outlet for Arsenal, using her passing range to influence the game. She also got the assist for Russo’s second goal. 

Laura Wienroither - (Sub, 45’) - 7/10

Struggled one-on-one against the pacey wingers of Washington Spirit. 

Michelle Agyemang - (Sub, 45’) - 7/10

Dropped deep to help Arsenal, heavily involved in build-up play. She also contributed defensively during set pieces.

Naomi Williams (Sub, 62’) - 7/10

Since coming on, she had little to do but did make a notable intervention by coming out to claim a ball played over the top. She struggled from set pieces at times. 

Steph Catley (Sub, 77’)

Caitlin Foord (Sub, 77’)

Kyra Cooney-Cross (Sub, 77’)

Laila Harbert (Sub, 77’)

Maddy Earl (Sub, 77’)