A significant number of Arsenal fans gathered at the Emirates Stadium, eager to see the women's team set the stage for the day, as the men's team was scheduled to face the same opponents later. Although they didn't secure a win in the opening weekend of the WSL season, they put on an entertaining display, scoring both the first and last goals in a thrilling 2-2 draw against Manchester City. Vivianne Miedema, the club's all-time leading goal scorer, made her mark for her new team.
Jonas Eidevall made three changes to the lineup that lost 1-0 to BK Häcken in Gothenburg on Wednesday, with Stina Blackstenius, Caitlin Foord, and Frida Maanum joining the starting XI. Leah Williamson was absent, with the club confirming before the match that they would adhere to concussion protocol. For City, who had secured a 5-0 victory over Paris FC in midweek, there was one change, with Khadija Shaw starting after the club failed to secure a visa for her in France.
This marked the first time Arsenal hosted Manchester City at the Emirates in recent years, despite an increase in fixtures at the main stadium. Given City's wide threat, it seems Arsenal has preferred to condense them on the narrower Meadow Park pitch. Much of the focus ahead of the match was on Miedema's return to the club where she holds the record for most goals. It was almost expected that she would quickly expose the team she knows so well, nearly scoring within minutes after robbing Kim Little and seeing Manuela Zinsberger off her line.
The response to the near-miss was immediate, with Foord's cross from the right finding Blackstenius, whose shot was perfectly placed by Maanum. Despite City's dominance in possession, Arsenal created better chances in the first half and could have doubled their lead when Katie McCabe's through ball found Blackstenius, who rounded the goalkeeper, Ayaka Yamashita, but shot wide of the near post. City's control of the game meant chances were inevitable, and McCabe celebrated as if she had scored after a crucial clearance to deny Aoba Fujino.
The equalizer came from Miedema, who evaded Little and nutmegged both the Scotland midfielder and Lotte Wubben-Moy, her shot deflecting off Laia Codina to wrongfoot Zinsberger. Miedema did not celebrate, a rarity for her. Arsenal had one last chance to regain the lead before halftime, with Maanum setting up Blackstenius, but her hesitation allowed Yamashita to block the shot. The home side took control after the break and nearly scored within minutes, but Laia Aleixandri was fortunate that Foord was judged offside.
City remained patient and took the lead with a stylish move – a headed clearance met by Jess Park, who controlled the ball with one touch before hitting it on the turn, the effort deflecting off the crossbar and in. The City fans erupted, while the rest of the stadium fell silent. The momentum had shifted, and Zinsberger made crucial saves from Yui Hasegawa, Miedema, and Shaw. Miedema was substituted around the 73rd minute, receiving applause from both sets of fans.
Arsenal's equalizer came from a fortunate situation, with McCabe bringing down Chloe Kelly, who tangled with Little, allowing McCabe to play in Rosa Kafaji, whose shot hit the bar and was turned in by Beth Mead. After seven minutes of added time, the final whistle confirmed a draw. The happier side? Chelsea.
