Arsenal Women nil. Aston Villa one. Maz Pacheco’s first half header, combined with a resolute defensive display from Carla Ward’s well-structured outfit, just might condemn Arsenal to another WSL defeat.

Cross after cross, attack after attack, was coming to nothing for the Gunners. Caitlin Foord struck the post after turning beautifully away from her marker. Alessia Russo failed to turn home the rebound yards from goal. 

More crosses, more clearances, more pressure on head coach Jonas Eidevall with 35,000 watching on. Victoria Pelova and Cloe Lacasse are impactful from the bench. Steph Catley heads wide. More crosses come to nothing. 

With a few minutes remaining, Beth Mead makes her return from an eleven month ACL injury, and the Emirates roars. The ball almost broke for the England star after Russo’s shot was blocked, but still Arsenal cannot find a way through.

Twelve minutes of added time are announced. Plenty of time now for Arsenal to at least find that elusive equaliser. Caitlin Foord’s overhead kick doesn’t have the power to challenge goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar. Arsenal have not challenged van Domselaar. More crosses are dealt with by Villa’s impenetrable sea of blue shirts.

And all of a sudden, Arsenal make their mark. The tenacious Pelova times her slide tackle on McGloughlin to perfection. She finds Foord, who drives forward. Pelova is there on the left side of the penalty area and collects possession. McCabe arrives on the overlap, and Pelova waits and waits before laying the ball off exactly where McCabe wants it, allowing the Irish captain to run onto the ball and fire it into the roof of the net.

Celebrations are muted as McCabe races back to the halfway line with the net still shaking. Arsenal have ten minutes now to find a winner. They very nearly do through Stina Blackstenius, who hits the post after a clever ball over the top from Mead. van Domselaar was beaten but Blackstenius could not find the bottom corner.

It all happens very quickly. Foord’s cross is headed away, Pelova spins away from her marker and finds Lacasse in space. Her cross is blocked by Turner and Wubben-Moy is up from the back to collect possession. Mead is in space on the edge of the box and Wubben-Moy finds her. She turns, stretching to lay the ball off to Russo.

It’s on her left foot, and Arsenal’s new number 23 falls back as she connects with the ball on the 18 yard line. Could this be her moment? The ball flies through a gap in Villa’s defence. van Domselaar has seen it late, too late, and it squirms through her hands into the bottom corner. Russo has done it. Arsenal have done it. 

A first WSL goal for the summer signing, and Jonas Eidevall is standing to attention, applauding vigorously from the sidelines. Childhood Arsenal fan Wubben-Moy roars as she leaps in the air to join the celebrations, and her superb late tackle on Ebony Salmon seals the win for the Gunners.

At the full time whistle an exhausted Blackstenius raises her arms aloft. Eidevall embraces his coaching staff and shakes hands with an almost disbelieving Ward, who has watched her side fall to a third straight defeat.

High fives all round for Alessia Russo, and let us not forget Beth Mead. An incredible feeling after a painful spell on the sidelines, and Leah Williamson quickly joined her on the Emirates turf to take it all in.

Arsenal two. Aston Villa one. Cloe Lacasse’s late equaliser salvaged a point away to Manchester United, and the Gunners showed their incredible resilience once again to earn a first league win after a difficult start to the season.

Arsenal fans will still be coming down from Russo’s winner when the Gunners travel to Bristol City on Sunday, a real opportunity for Jonas Eidevall’s side to build some momentum.

Happy Monday, Gooners ? pic.twitter.com/qlM3H1CzYy

— Freddie Cardy (@CardyFreddie) October 16, 2023