Women's Super League: Arsenal beat West Ham 3-0 as Little notches 50 WSL goals

3 years ago 44

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Arsenal's Kim Little scores her first against West Ham

Kim Little scored twice against West Ham as Arsenal maintained their perfect start to the Women's Super League season and restored a three-point lead at the top.

Little found the bottom corner for the opener before taking her career tally of WSL goals to 50 with an excellent second-half finish.

Beth Mead, who hit the woodwork either side of the break, added a third.

A Grace Fisk own goal rounded off a difficult day for the Hammers.

Under boss Olli Harder, West Ham have made their best-ever start to a WSL season with eight points from the opening five games.

Yet Arsenal remain the only club they have lost to in every WSL meeting to date - this defeat being their sixth.

The Hammers were without influential forward Adriana Leon, who is having what the clubs says is a "potentially serious" foot injury assessed.

But they made an energetic start and twice threatened in the opening five minutes.

Claudia Walker wasted a chance from close range after the Gunners failed to deal with a corner, before Tameka Yallop pounced on a Leah Williamson mistake to test Manuela Zinsberger.

Arsenal, however, went on to dominate, putting the visitors under relentless pressure.

Caitlin Foord sent the first warning shot, crashing an effort off the foot of the post before the Hammers scrambled the loose ball clear as Nikita Parris tried to turn home the rebound.

In quick succession, Williamson fired narrowly wide and Foord had a diving header well saved by Mackenzie Arnold before Mead had a shot deflected onto the post.

Captain Little eventually got the breakthrough the Gunners deserved, linking up with Mead on the edge of the area before skipping between three defenders and coolly finishing.

Her 50th WSL goal, on her 98th league appearance, was equally impressive - firing into the roof of the net from a tight angle.

Mead then had a shot tipped onto the bar, but made it 3-0 moments later. She also played a part in the fourth goal as Fisk turned a cross from the England forward into her own net.

Line-ups

Arsenal Women

Formation 4-3-3

1Zinsberger
16Maritz
6WilliamsonSubstituted forBoye Sørensenat 71'minutes
3Wubben-Moy
15McCabeBooked at 90mins
12Maanum
10LittleSubstituted forWältiat 62'minutes
23IwabuchiSubstituted forNobbsat 71'minutes
14ParrisSubstituted forCatleyat 74'minutes
19FoordSubstituted forMiedemaat 62'minutes
9Mead

Substitutes

4Patten
7Catley
8Nobbs
11Miedema
13Wälti
18Williams
20Boye Sørensen
28Stenson

West Ham Women

Formation 3-4-3

1Arnold
23CissokoBooked at 14minsSubstituted forFiskat 45'minutes
5Flaherty
12LonghurstSubstituted forJoelat 90+2'minutes
10Svitková
13Yallop
32BrynjarsdóttirSubstituted forFilisat 66'minutes
2WyneSubstituted forParkerat 72'minutes
14Hasegawa
9WalkerSubstituted forGarrardat 90+2'minutes
4Stringer

Substitutes

15Parker
17Filis
18Leat
20Joel
22Fisk
24Cairns
25Garrard

Live Text

Match ends, Arsenal Women 4, West Ham United Women 0.
Second Half ends, Arsenal Women 4, West Ham United Women 0.
Substitution, West Ham United Women. Lois Kathleen Joel replaces Kate Longhurst.
Substitution, West Ham United Women. Grace Garrard replaces Claudia Walker.
Katie McCabe (Arsenal Women) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Katie McCabe (Arsenal Women).
Katerina Svitková (West Ham United Women) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt blocked. Katie McCabe (Arsenal Women) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jordan Nobbs.
Attempt missed. Yui Hasegawa (West Ham United Women) right footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.
Hand ball by Simone Boye Sørensen (Arsenal Women).
Own Goal by Grace Fisk, West Ham United Women. Arsenal Women 4, West Ham United Women 0.
Attempt blocked. Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal Women) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jordan Nobbs.
Attempt blocked. Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal Women) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Beth Mead.
Attempt saved. Kate Longhurst (West Ham United Women) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Katerina Svitková with a cross.
Foul by Noëlle Maritz (Arsenal Women).
Yui Hasegawa (West Ham United Women) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt missed. Katie McCabe (Arsenal Women) left footed shot from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Frida Maanum with a cross.
Substitution, Arsenal Women. Stephanie Catley replaces Nikita Parris.
Offside, Arsenal Women. Jordan Nobbs tries a through ball, but Beth Mead is caught offside.
Offside, Arsenal Women. Vivianne Miedema tries a through ball, but Nikita Parris is caught offside.