Report: Bristol City Women 0-4 Arsenal.

Two goals either side of half-time ensured the Gunners left BA2 with three points as the Robins tasted defeat for the first time in three games. 

What happened? 

Vivianne Miedema was on target for the visitors just four minutes in as her side raced into an early lead.

After a short period of pressure on City goal, Miedema was slipped through on the left-hand side and made no mistake with her shot as she fires across goal and into the bottom corner. 

The goalscorer nearly grabbed a second when she leaped highest to a cross into the box, but the Dutch international headed onto the post. The Gunners looked destined to score when the rebound fell to Jordan Nobbs metres out, but a miraculous recovery from Sophie Baggaley smothered the ball, and danger was cleared.  

Arsenal went on to double their lead on the stroke of half time. The goal came after a string of fast-passes from the Gunners, with Danielle Van De Donk finishing off the smart team-move from close range.

The post came to the rescue once again for the Robins when substitute Beth Mead opened fire from distance and the ball smashed against the woodwork – albeit with a vital touch Baggaley to deny the visitors a third. 

However, the substitute did get on the scoresheet just after the hour mark.The forward picked up the ball on the edge of the box and rifled her shot down the centre of the goal, and despite Faye Bryson’s best effort to block it on the line, the shot was too powerful as it trickled into the net. 

It was four for Arsenal minutes later when Jordan Nobbs’ original shot was well saved by Baggaley, however the deflected save looped towards the empty net where Miedema was on hand to tap it in and grab her second of the game. 

The Robins nearly pulled a goal back soon after when Bryson’s mazy run forward set up Charlie Wellings to take aim from range, and her fizzed effort was saved at full-stretch by Lydia Williams into the path of Bryson, with the full-back’s first-time shot going high and wide. 

Wellings tried her luck again after City won back possession on the edge of the box, but her reversed shot was held well by the ‘keeper at her near post.

A string of outstanding saves from Baggaley denied Arsenal a fifth, with the ‘keeper pulling off an incredible save to deny Miedema her hat-trick as she clawed the ball off the goal line at full-stretch. 

Jemma Purfield then hit the crossbar with an audacious lob from the left-hand side as the Robins continued their late search for a goal.

Baggaley yet again left the Arsenal forwards with their hands on their heads, wondering how they hadn’t scored once again in the final moments when she made an astonishing save to stop a fifth. 

Miedema was played through one-on-one with time and space on her side, and as the forward took aim for the bottom corner, Baggaley was able to get a strong hand down to push the effort wide of the post to see the game finish 4-0.

Teams:

Bristol City Women: Baggaley, Bryson (Layzell, 69), Evans ©, Pike, Humphrey (Mastrantonio, 65), Daniels, Wellings, Palmer (Rafferty, 78), Harrison (Bissell, 69), Purfield, Skeels.

Substitutes: Haaland, Collis, Cook, Jones.

Arsenal Women: Williams, Wubben-Moy, Van De Donk (Gut, 61), Nobbs, Little ©, Miedema, Walti (Williamson, 46), Roord (McCabe, 69), Maritz (Patten, 61), Foord (Mead, 46), Maier.

Substitutes: Zinsberger, Goldie.

Player of the Match: Sophie Baggaley

We’re running out of superlatives to describe the Bristol City number one. 

With the Gunners boasting some of the worlds-best attacking talents, it was always going to be a tough ask for the shot-stopper to keep them at bay.

Despite conceding four, Baggaley pulled off some remarkable saves to deny Arsenal expanding their lead – twice leaving Arsenal striker Miedema in awe as she made a number of world-class saves to deny the striker her hat-trick. 

Saves like today could prove vital in the clubs run-in towards the end of the season.

Author: Lewis Barton

Match Report Sponsor: University of the West of England