Alessia Russo double seals victory for rampant Arsenal away to West Ham | OneFootball

At the rainswept home of West Ham, the Arsenal fans sang: “We know you don’t believe us, we know you don’t believe us, we know you don’t believe us, we’re going to win the league.”

It is perhaps a little premature for anyone to determine where the Women’s Super League title will end up but there is a joy pulsing through Arsenal at the moment, the club still riding high from their Champions League triumph. A 5-1 defeat of West Ham coming after their opening 4-1 win over London City Lionesses only added to the good vibes. They have shown they can beat the best, now they have to prove they can beat the best, the worst and those in between consistently.

Renée Slegers’ side made it difficult for themselves for the second game in a row, though. This time it was an own goal from goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar that put them in trouble, before strikes by Frida Maanum, Stina Blackstenius, Caitlin Foord and two from Alessia Russo ensured the European champions maintained a 100% start to the season.

“Very much,” said Slegers, when asked how keen she is for her side to iron out the mistakes that have put them behind in consecutive games. “They’re not the scenarios you want, not in your opening game at the Emirates with so many fans and everyone very excited, but also not when you go away and play West Ham, because we respect this ground and this opponent and we know they can make it really hard for us, and that’s what they did.”

It took the Hammers five minutes to earn a shock lead, Shekiera Martinez’s teasing ball to the back post slipping through the hands of Van Domselaar and coming back off the post on to her head and in. It was weird, and unfortunate, but the goalkeeper should have reckoned with the ball being as slick as it was.

Having had to come from a goal down against London City Lionesses on the opening weekend of the WSL season, when Kosovare Asllani converted from the spot after she was brought down by Katie Reid, there was a feeling of deja vu. Did Arsenal enjoy having their backs against the wall? Probably not, but there is something to be said for the grit and togetherness created by such situations.

Arsenal were soon dominant in front of an away crowd to rival the home contingent and in the 21st minute were deservedly level. It was nice work from Russo on the left to hold on to the ball and find Beth Mead, who delivered her third assist of the season, slipping the ball through the legs of Finland’s Oona Siren to Maanum, who turned in past Megan Walsh.

It was a goal that was a testament to Arsenal’s depth, Maanum one of three changes to the team that saw off London City.

It was hardly a thriller, but once the rain stopped, play improved and Arsenal clicked into gear. It was the half-time substitution of Maanum for Champions League final goalscorer Blackstenius that helped Arsenal break the deadlock, Russo’s backheel rifled into the far corner by the Sweden forward.

Then just past the hour, Foord lifted the pressure, heading powerfully between the raised arms of Walsh from Mariona Caldentey’s ball after a short corner from Katie McCabe.

West Ham were overrun, failing to register a single shot on target and producing six touches in the opposition box to Arsenal’s 30. Ultimately, their season will not be defined by results against the top four, but having troubled those teams last season, with draws earned against Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City, and Arsenal needing to come from behind against the Hammers to secure a 4-3 win in March, there will be disappointment that they weren’t able to do more.

“If you look at the scoreline, it’s obviously not one that you want to walk away with,” said their manager, Rehanne Skinner. “They are European champions. It’s always going to be a big test and we’re trying to be a little bit braver in what we do, so sometimes we can get caught a ­little bit with that and they’ve got the capability to punish you.”

Russo put the cherry on top with two goals in three minutes late on. First, substitute Olivia Smith set her up to lash into the top corner from the edge of the box. Then Smith was brought down on a tricky run into the area and up stepped Russo to convert the penalty. It was clinical and efficient and Arsenal sit top of the WSL.

Header image: [Photograph: Steven Paston/PA]