LONDON — Manchester City striker Vivianne Miedema scored and made another goal against her former club Arsenal but the Gunners still managed to grab a 2-2 draw in their Women’s Super League clash thanks to a late Beth Mead goal.
With City finishing second last season and Arsenal third, the drama began early with Frida Maanum firing the hosts ahead in the eighth minute, the Norway international burying the ball in the top-right corner after a slick move down the right.
Manchester City coach Gareth Taylor said he was happy with the point but “would have been happier with the three given the context of the game”. The City manager added:
“It’s the season opener, at the Emirates, in front of a big crowd, people have to understand what that does to players … We have to be fairly content.”
It was almost inevitable that all-time WSL top scorer Miedema, who joined City as a free agent in the close season after seven years at Arsenal, would get on the scoresheet and the Dutch international struck in the 42nd minute with a heavily deflected effort that wrong-footed keeper Manuela Zinzberger, Reuters reported.
Arsenal’s Caitlin Foord had an effort ruled out for offside early in the second half and instead it was City who went in front, Jess Park collecting Miedema’s headed knock-down before smacking a sumptuous half-volley in off the underside of the bar to make it 2-1.
Jonas Eidevall made three changes to the Arsenal side that suffered a 1-0 defeat at BK Häcken in their Champions League qualifier first leg on Wednesday, with Stina Blackstenius, Caitlin Foord and Frida Maanum coming into the starting XI. Leah Williamson remained absent, with the club announcing before kick-off that they were following concussion protocol.
For City, who earned a 5-0 first-leg win against Paris FC in midweek, there was one change, with Khadija Shaw back in the starting XI after the club had failed to make a visa application for her to play in France.
Arsenal had not hosted City at the Emirates in recent years, despite their increase in fixtures at the main stadium. With City’s wide threat so dangerous, condensing them on to the narrower Meadow Park pitch has seemingly been preferred.
Much was made in the buildup of Miedema’s return. It was somewhat inevitable that she would brutally expose the team she knows so well within minutes, robbing Kim Little and trying to exploit Manuela Zinsberger being off her line, but her effort went just wide.
The response to the error was instant, though, with Foord’s ball in from the right behind Blackstenius but perfect for the arriving Maanum, who fired in.
Despite City’s dominance in possession, Arsenal had the better chances in the first half but they would be made to pay for their profligacy.
The equaliser could have only one scorer, Miedema evading Little before nutmegging the Scotland midfielder and Lotte Wubben-Moy, her shot taking a deflection off Laia Codina to wrongfoot Zinsberger. The Dutch forward did not celebrate, but she rarely does anyway.
“It was a big day for her and a tough one to get through,” said Taylor. “There would have been some nice moments but I’m sure it’s one she is probably happy is put to bed now.”
How did Eidevall feel about it? “Nothing,” he said. “It was a player scoring a goal against us, for me it doesn’t make a difference.”
The home side were in the ascendancy after the break and soon had the ball in the net, with Laia Aleixandri fortunate that Foord was judged to have been narrowly offside when she turned the ball in from close range.
Arsenal’s Mead was to have the final say, however, as she reacted quickest after fellow substitute Rosa Kafaji hit the left-hand post to squeeze home the rebound in the 81st minute to grab a valuable point for her side.
On Friday, champions Chelsea got the season under way with a 1-0 home win over Aston Villa, while Brighton hammered visiting Everton 4-0 and hosts Manchester United cruised to a 3-0 victory over West Ham United.
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