Alessia Russo scored twice as Arsenal Women won 2-1 at Anfield on Sunday, a result Renée Slegers’ side badly needed after one win in their previous seven Women’s Super League games.
The England striker now has seven goals in her last four appearances. Her first came after nine minutes and her second arrived right on half-time, and in between Beata Olsson had levelled for Liverpool.
It was not comfortable. Liverpool had a goal ruled out for offside and missed a glorious late chance to equalise, and Arsenal had to defend for their lives in the closing minutes before heading to Barcelona this week.
Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal Women: how Russo won it
Arsenal started brightly. Lisa Baum’s shot was deflected onto the crossbar early on, and Olivia Smith, starting against the club Arsenal signed her from in a record deal, volleyed high and wide.
The breakthrough was a lovely team goal. Emily Fox delivered from the right and Russo buried it first time.
The lead lasted seven minutes. Natalia Ramos found Olsson, who got away from Leah Williamson and drilled into the bottom corner. Misa Rodríguez then tipped a Ramos free-kick onto the bar, and Jenna Clark thought she had put Liverpool ahead from a corner, only for the flag to go up.
A header on the stroke of half-time
Arsenal grew back into it around the half-hour, with Caitlin Foord and Georgia Stanway both going close. Then, right at the end of the half, Baum crossed from the right and Russo headed down past Khiara Keating. It was almost a copy of the first goal from the opposite side.
The second half was tighter. Stanway set up what looked a certain hat-trick goal for Russo in the 72nd minute, but Clark got a touch to take it away. Misa denied Mao Itamura at her near post with five minutes left, and then Cornelia Kapocs, unmarked in front of goal, hooked Itamura’s ball wide in the 88th minute.
What did Renée Slegers say about Russo?
The Arsenal head coach was full of praise for her No.23 after the game. “She is in top form. I think the two goals are such clean finishes. She picks up really good positions in the box,” Slegers said.
She was just as pleased with the way her team held on. “The way we defend at the end of the game for our lives, so much passion and pride for the shirt. It was about starters and finishers, that ball wasn’t gonna go in and we were determined to get the three points today and the team did it.”
“The one point against Villa wasn’t enough”
Slegers made it clear that the home draw with Aston Villa last time out had stung. “Very important. The one point against Villa wasn’t enough for us. That was a disappointing result, that the Arsenal standards against Villa at home,” she said.
She was honest about the problems too. Olsson’s equaliser came from the same kind of long ball through the middle that has hurt Arsenal before, and Slegers admitted: “We end up in the one v one at the back line. So that’s something we have to look at when we’re brave, then everything needs to be spot on.”
Is Taylor Hinds injured?
Hinds had to come off late on and was replaced by Lotte Wubben-Moy. Slegers did not have a medical update straight after the game but did not sound too worried: “I spoke to her after the game. I haven’t spoken to medical yet. I think and I hope she’ll be all right. It doesn’t look too severe, but I haven’t had any official update yet.”
Where Arsenal Women stand before Barcelona
The win lifts Arsenal to 13 points from nine games, sixth in the table and 12 points behind leaders Manchester City. That is a long way off what this squad expects, which is why three points at Anfield mattered so much.
Next up are the European champions: Barcelona at Camp Nou in the UEFA Women’s Champions League on Thursday, with a 5.45pm UK kick-off. Slegers already has her eye on it. “A lot of learnings and the good thing is that we kept it clean and we got the 3 points. And then the learnings taking that into Barcelona, because they’re outstanding on the ball.”
Can Russo carry Arsenal Women back up the table?
She is doing her part. Seven goals in four games is the kind of run that drags a struggling side along, and both of Sunday’s finishes were proper striker’s goals, one first time, one a precise downward header.
The worry for us is the other end. Liverpool created enough to take a point, and Barcelona will punish the same gaps far more ruthlessly. If Arsenal can keep Russo fed and tidy up those long balls in behind, Sunday could be the start of a climb rather than a one-off.
