Match Report & WSL top 4 roundup: Arsenal romp to 5-0 win over Crystal Palace Women to go 2nd! | OneFootball

Arsenal Women delivered a commanding performance against Crystal Palace, securing a 5-0 victory at Meadow Park on Sunday. The win has secured 2nd spot in the WSL for our Gunners.

The Red Devils (Man United) won the Manchester derby last night against the struggling Cityzens (Man City). That result puts United in 3rd, on the same 24 points as Arsenal, but our Gunners have a goal difference advantage of 5. Man City now sit 4th in the WSL, and are seriously missing key players; Alex Greenwood, Lauren Hemp and WSL top goalscorer Bunny Shaw.

Chelsea Women secured a win against West Ham on Sunday and remain 7 points ahead of Arsenal Women, at the top of the table. This is the WSL table after this weekend’s matches:

The Arsenal v Crystal Palace match marked the first game of 2025 for both teams and also the debut of Renée Slegers as Arsenal’s permanent head coach.

Our Gunners started strong, with Leah Williamson opening the scoring just seven minutes into the match. Williamson capitalized on a corner, poking the ball home from close range to give Arsenal an early lead. Williamson was awarded Player of the Match for her performance throughout the game.

Despite their dominance, Arsenal struggled to convert their chances in the first half. Crystal Palace had a couple of opportunities to equalize, with Mille Gejl testing Arsenal’s goalkeeper Daphne Van Domselaar and My Cato missing a clear chance shortly after. The score remained 1-0 to Arsenal as we went into the break.

However, Arsenal’s pressure finally paid off in the second half. Alessia Russo doubled the lead in the 63rd minute, reacting quickly to a spilled shot, from a Caitlin Foord effort that hit the post, and finishing emphatically.

Beth Mead added a third goal just four minutes later, receiving a precise cutback from Russo before sweeping the ball past Palace’s goalkeeper Shae Yanez. Our Gunners continued to dominate, and Mariona Caldentey scored from the penalty spot in the 75th minute after Caitlin Foord was fouled in the box. Caldentey capped off her impressive performance with a second goal deep into stoppage time, sealing a comprehensive victory for our Gunners!

The win not only showcased Arsenal’s continued fantastic form under Renee, but also highlighted their potential in the Women’s Super League title race. With this result, our Gunners moved up to second place in the league standings.

Renee said she was “super happy” with her team’s performance and emphasized their ambition to close the gap at the top of the table as they look ahead to upcoming challenges against top rivals like Chelsea and Manchester City.

What did you think of the match Gooners?

Michelle M

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