Arsenal Women had goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar to thank after the debutant pulled off a string of crucial saves to help the Gunners beat Leicester City 1-0.

Frida Maanum scored the only goal at the King Power Stadium in a somewhat uninspiring display by Jonas Eidevall’s side.

Arsenal didn’t play particularly well

Yes, they picked up their first win of the Women’s Super League season, but this was a tough watch for the 1,600 travelling Arsenal fans. Those watching at home were spared the pain of the closing stages when the YouTube stream cut out with six minutes remaining, but Arsenal’s loyal supporters had little to sing about at the King Power Stadium.

The Gunners had overcome BK Hacken in a win-or-bust Champions League qualifier on Thursday night, and Jonas Eidevall conceded to the Gooner Fanzine that the physical and mental pressure of the game had taken its toll. Arsenal’s build-up play was slow and predictable, with Eidevall’s side resorting to the sort of display that has become all too familiar in recent times.

Against Manchester City, the Gunners’ problem was putting chances away, resolved a few days later with inspired finishes from the likes of Lia Walti and Beth Mead. At the King Power though, individual ideas were lacking desperately. Frida Maanum struggled to create in the number ten role, as did Arsenal’s wide players, and real energy was only added when the likes of Mariona Caldentey and Rosa Kafaji were introduced.

Arsenal’s goal came from a mistake, with CJ Bott giving the ball away and Alessia Russo doing well to set up Maanum for a tap-in. But on another day, the Gunners would have been punished.

What’s Dutch for ‘brick wall’?

‘Bakstenen muur’ according to Google Translate. The correct answer, however, is Daphne van Domselaar. The summer signing has had to bide her time to make her debut, but was handed the opportunity on Sunday and almost single-handedly prevented Arsenal from dropping two points.

The Beverwijk-born goalkeeper pulled off a top-class save to deny Leicester’s talismanic forward Jutta Rantala in the first half, tipping her powerful effort onto the crossbar. 

Two more crucial saves in the second half were pivotal in getting Arsenal over the line, with van Domselaar displaying her agility and athleticism. Her rival for the number one spot, Manu Zinsberger, was her biggest supporter from the sidelines, and van Domselaar was earmarked for praise by her teammates during rather muted post-match celebrations. As debuts go…

Can Arsenal’s squad manage WSL and Champions League football?

Jonas Eidevall conceded that the King Power Stadium will not be the last venue this season where Arsenal have to settle for a less than ideal performance in order to grind out a result. The Gunners are back in the Champions League after last season’s qualification failure, and now must deal with the consequences of a very busy schedule.

Arsenal will be sweating on the fitness of a number of players ahead of Sunday’s game against Everton, which is followed by a trip to Munich to kick off their Champions League group stage campaign. Katie McCabe was taken off against Leicester because Eidevall “thought she looked very tired”, with Caitlin Foord dropping to left-back for the first time in many years.

Laura Wienroither was meant to play and allow some vital rest for Emily Fox, but the Austrian defender was injured in the warm-up and Fox was once again thrown into 90 more minutes of action, whilst Wienroither left the stadium on crutches. 

Arsenal will hope Steph Catley and Leah Williamson can return in the coming days, rather than weeks, with Wienroither’s injury potentially pivotal due to shortcomings in the full-back positions. A night at the Emirates watching Arsenal men beat PSG, sat alongside Robert Pires, will hopefully have helped!