That’s all we’ve got time for today. Thanks for your company – goodnight.
Vivianne Miedema’s reaction
It means a lot to score. I’ve been training really well, feeling more like myself again, and I’m really happy that it flew in the goal.
It’s been pretty tough. I had a couple of setbacks during my recovery, and before the winter break I just didn’t feel like myself. Something in my mindset shifted over Christmas and I’m happy that I’m back at the point where I can help the team.
I’d been a bit scared to come back after so long out. Some players don’t overthink it; I did. I put a lot of pressure on myself. But I don’t think about my knees anymore which is the best thing ever.
Full time: Liverpool 0-2 Arsenal
Arsenal move to within three points of the leaders Chelsea with an ultimately emphatic win at Prenton Park. It took them a long time to turn possession into chances, never mind goal, but by the end they were creating opportunities almost at will.
Vivianne Miedema put them ahead after an hour with a deflected long-range drive; nine minutes later, Caitlin Foord finished off a good move to give Arsenal a two-goal cushion.
Liverpool’s effort was beyond reproach, particularly in defence, but they didn’t have a shot on target until the 94th minute. They can have no complaints.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea Women | 12 | 26 | 31 |
| 2 | Man City Women | 12 | 25 | 28 |
| 3 | Arsenal Women | 12 | 17 | 28 |
| 4 | Man Utd Women | 12 | 13 | 21 |
| 5 | Liverpool FC Women | 12 | -2 | 18 |
90+5 min: Blackstenius hits the post! She could have had a hat-trick since coming on as substitute. She has just swept a first-time shot against the outside of the post after another lovely move down the right.
90+4 min: Good save by Zinsberger! Liverpool’s first shot on target. A long ball is headed on towards Enderby, who runs beyond the Arsenal defence and pings a low shot that is kicked away by Zinsberger.
90+3 min Matthews is booked for a tactical foul.
90+1 min Six minutes of added time.
90 min Laws is down after being caught by Lacasse. It looks like an impact injury so she should be fine.
88 min Liverpool are totally shattered. Blackstenius moves through on goal and tries to go round Laws, who dives at her feet to make another excellent save.
87 min: Arsenal substitutions Frida Leonhardsen-Maanum and Cloe Lacasse are on for Beth Mead and Victoria Pelova. That means we won’t see Leah Williamson tonight.
Updated
85 min Pelova’s pass is cut out just inside the Liverpool area. The ball deflects to Blackstenius, whose snapshot is kicked away by Laws. Good save.
Updated
82 min: Chance for Arsenal! Walti flips a lovely pass over the defence, into the path of Blacksteinus. She chests the ball down but then lobs it over the bar. That probably should have been 3-0.
79 min Koivisto is booked for a foul on Walti. Although the game is probably over, Arsenal look hungry for more goals.
Updated
76 min Blackstenius low cross just evades Foord (I think) at the near post. Arsenal have been much more penetrative in the second half.
72 min: Arsenal substitutions Only the three for them. Stina Blackstenius, Kim Little and Steph Catley replace Katie McCabe, who is booked for taking too long to leave the field, Vivianne Miedema and Alessia Russo. That yellow card means McCabe will miss the next WSL game at West Ham.
Updated
70 min: Quadruple substitution for Liverpool Mia Enderby, Marie Hobinger, Jenna Clark and Emma Koivisto come on for Grace Fisk, Sofie Lundgaard, Shaniec van de Sanden and Melissa Lawley.
Updated
That’s a well-worked goal. Fox, a constant attacking threat from right-back, wandered infield and pushed a pass in behind the defence for Russo. She crossed low for Foord to force the ball past Laws from close range.
It's IN FOR TWO! ⚽⚽
— Sky Sports WSL (@SkySportsWSL) January 28, 2024
Caitlin Foord fires away for Arsenal! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/uWIBDrV53y
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 0-2 Arsenal (Foord 69)
That triple substitution might be too late: Arsenal have doubled their lead!
Updated
68 min Liverpool are able to make a triple substitution.
66 min Here’s the opening goal from Miedema.
What a GOAL, what a MOMENT! 💫
— Sky Sports WSL (@SkySportsWSL) January 28, 2024
Vivianne Miedema scores her first goal for Arsenal since December 2022!😍☄️ pic.twitter.com/BTfS0hZmDV
65 min: Fine reaction save by Laws! Arsenal are trying to kill the game off as quickly as possible. Foord wriggles away from Bonner in the area and curls a shot that is really well saved to her left by Laws.
Updated
62 min Liverpool have worked so hard defensively. Now they somehow have to find the energy to change gear and push for an equaliser.
Fox squared the ball to the unmarked Miedema, 25 yards out. She pushed it into the space and smashed a shot that took a deflection off Bonner and flew into the roof of the net. At first I thought it had gone straight in, but there was definitely a touch off Bonner and that made it harder for Laws to save. Though she got a hand on it as she leapt to her left, Laws could only help it into the net. It’s Miedema’s first goal for Arsenal since her long injury lay-off.
Updated
GOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal (Miedema 60)
Now that’s how to break a deadlock.
Updated
60 min: Liverpool substitution Sophie Roman Haug replaces Yana Daniels.
58 min This is a good spell for Arsenal. Miedema runs at a backpedalling Liverpool defence and releases Mead on the right of the area. She twists back inside a defender but is crowded out, and eventually Fox’s cross is headed behind for a corner.
Updated
57 min Daniels is booked for pulling back Pelova.
55 min Mead, wrongly flagged offside, slides a first-time cross towards Russo that is brilliantly cut out by Bonner on the six-yard line. There’s no VAR so any goal wouldn’t have counted, but it was outstanding defending nonetheless.
54 min Russo breaks promisingly down the left … and then mishits a cross straight through to Laws. Arsenal have been increasingly profligate in the final third.
51 min Bonner isn’t sure what’s behind her so pokes the ball behind for another Arsenal corner. She had more time than she realised. McCabe’s corner is headed away at tne near post. Arsenal keep the ball alive but Foord’s twisting header is straight at Laws. Again, not much of a chance.
49 min Arsenal have picked up where they left off. So have Liverpool, who are defending as if world peace depends on it.
Updated
46 min Peep peep! Arsenal begin the second half.
Half-time reading
Half time: Liverpool 0-0 Arsenal
Arsenal have been much the better team without creating any clear chances. They have a big 45 minutes coming up, becaise they won’t want to slip five or six points behind Chelsea.
45+2 min: Chance for Arsenal! Suddenly it’s all happening. Foord runs at Fisk and drives a really dangerous low cross into the six-yard box. The stretching Bonner diverts it towards her own goal and Laws makes a fine reaction save with her left foot.
45+1 min: Chance for Liverpool! That might be the best opportunity of the half. Lawley scurries down the left, showing excellent pace, and waits for support. When it arrives she guides a low cross towards Daniels, who gets across McCabe at the near post but shoots over from 10 yards.
Updated
45 min Two minutes of added time.
44 min That’s Arsenal’s best chance. Mead’s corner from the right is met by Wubben-Moy, who fights to win the header on the six-yarda line but then plants it too close to Laws.
43 min It was Arsene Wenger who coined the phrase “sterile domination” 13 years ago when his side lost to Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona, and it applies to this Arsenal performance. In most facets of the game they’ve been really impressive, but ultimately they’ve had only one shot on target and that was easily saved.
Updated
39 min Van de Sanden heads wide from 15 yards, a pretty ambitious effort as she was under pressure and moving away from goal. It’s Liverpool’s first goal attempt.
37 min Fox raids down the right to win Arsenal’s fifth corner, but Mead puts it straight into the side netting. I wonder whether she was going for goal.
34 min A rare Liverpool attack ends with Lundgaard overhitting a cross. They’ve been surprisingly poor on the ball.
32 min Russo has a shot on the turn blocked. A split-second earlier, Mead went over in the area after a slightly clumsy from Holland. There wasn’t enough for a penalty.
31 min Mead gets away down the right but drags her cross behind Foord in the six-yard box. Not sure where Russo was.
28 min I don’t really know what to say beyond:
1. Arsenal are totally dominating the game.
2. But they haven’t really tested Rachael Laws.
3. And it’s still 0-0.
25 min Arsenal have had 70 per cent of the possession, a figure that feels slightly low based on what we’ve seen.
23 min After some deft footwork from Miedema, Pelova hits a nice drive from 20 yards that is too close to Laws. Arsenal are so dominant.
22 min Fox mishits a cross that is flapped round the near post by Laws. Fox was well offside in the build up so Liverpool will be aggrieved if Arsenal score from the corner.
They don’t. Wubben-Moy heads wide from 12 yards, an extremely difficult chance.
19 min Lawley is booked for delaying an Arsenal throw-in. What’s the point?
18 min Arsenal have been extremely dominant without really working Rachael Laws.
15 min Foord plays in the underlapping McCabe, whose cross is blocked at the expense of a corner. It’s half cleared and swung back into the box, where Wubben-Moy flicks a dangerous header across goal. Foord looks set to score but Fisk gets to the ball just before her, booting a clearance off Foord and behind for a goalkick.
14 min Laws continues for now.
13 min The Liverpool keeper Rachael Laws is receiving treatment. It looks like it might be a muscle problem. Matt Beard takes the opportunity to give some tactical advice.
12 min “It was just fantastic for any Arsenal fan - any England fan, any fan of good football - to see Leah Williamson back on the pitch against Reading the other day,” writes Charles Antaki. “And the emotional bond among the players was wonderfully evident, especially between Williamson and Mead, who must have shared a good deal of pain (of various sorts) as they were in rehab together. Lovely to see.”
Actually Sky are showing a documentary about their rehab tonight. Sometimes I think we’ve become such slaves to data, tactics and hype that we lose sight of what will always be the most interesting thing about football: humanity.
11 min See 8 min.
8 min Liverpool are struggling to get the ball, never mind keep it. It’s been a calm, authoritative start from Arsenal.
5 min Foord twists Fisk inside out on the left edge of the area, forcing Nagano to come across and clear. Arsenal look sharp.
3 min Pelova slaloms elegantly past a couple of players and finds Russo in the area. She screws a cross that takes a deflection and is comfortably saved to her left by Laws.
2 min There’s a cracking atmosphere at Prenton Park, and it sounds like there’s a strong away contingent.
1 min Peep peep! After the players take a knee, Liverpool kick off from left to right as we watch.
As the players gather in the tunnel, here’s a reminder of the teams.
Liverpool (possible 4-3-3) Laws; Fahey, Bonner, Fisk, Matthews; Nagana, Holland;, Lundgaard; Daniels, Van de Sanden, Lawley.
Substitutes: Micah, Koivisto, Clark, Hobinger, Kearns, Enderby, Roman Haug, Parry.
Arsenal (4-2-3-1) Zinsberger; Fox, Ilestedt, Wubben-Moy, McCabe; Pelova, Walti; Mead, Miedema, Foord; Russo.
Substitutes: D’Angelo, Williamson, Catley, Codina, Cooney-Cross, Little, Maanum, Lacasse, Blackstenius.
Referee Rebecca Welch.
Matt Beard on his team selection
I just felt, looking the last 5-6 games, that our performance levels have been inconsistent, so we’ve gone with experience. We’ve got a lot of young players and sometimes you need to take them out to put them back in again. We’ve changed our shape as well so we’ll see how that works out.
🗣️ "You will be judged on trophies and one isn't enough"
— Sky Sports WSL (@SkySportsWSL) January 28, 2024
Should Arsenal have achieved more in the last few years? 🏆🔴 pic.twitter.com/3mN2Vj0Zm7
Today’s WSL results
Bristol City 1-2 West Ham
Everton 0-1 Leicester City
Man Utd 2-1 Aston Villa
Tottenham Hotspur 0-2 Man City
Liverpool and Arsenal can go level on points with Manchester United (in fourth) and Manchester City (second) respectively.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea Women | 12 | 26 | 31 |
| 2 | Man City Women | 12 | 25 | 28 |
| 3 | Arsenal Women | 11 | 15 | 25 |
| 4 | Man Utd Women | 12 | 13 | 21 |
| 5 | Liverpool FC Women | 11 | 0 | 18 |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur Women | 12 | -6 | 18 |
| 7 | Leicester Women | 12 | -6 | 13 |
| 8 | Aston Villa Women | 12 | -10 | 12 |
| 9 | Everton Women | 12 | -12 | 11 |
| 10 | Brighton & Hove Albion Women | 12 | -14 | 11 |
| 11 | West Ham Women | 12 | -13 | 8 |
| 12 | Bristol City Women | 12 | -18 | 5 |
Updated
The sky’s the limit for us. But we’re in a massively more competitive environment, which means we need to run even faster because while we are doing these things well, so are our opponents.
Team news
Matt Beard has changed more than half the Liverpool side that lost 5-1 at Manchester City last weekend. I need to double check but I think the only survivors are Gemma Bonner, Grace Fisk and Fuka Nagano.
Arsenal are unchanged from their last WSL game, a 2-1 win over Everton last weekend. Leah Williamson and Kim Little are among the subs.
The Reds to take on Arsenal 👊#LIVARS pic.twitter.com/4kCtvpHQkS
— Liverpool FC Women (@LiverpoolFCW) January 28, 2024
🩷 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 💜
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) January 28, 2024
🫡 McCabe with the armband
⚓️ Pelova in the middle
⚡️ Mead down the wing
COME ON YOU GUNNERS 💪 pic.twitter.com/9EeqtkTByS
Updated
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live, minute-by-minute coverage of Liverpool v Arsenal at Prenton Park. It’s a landmark day for Jonas Eidevall, who manages Arsenal for the 100th time and will hope to avenge the frustrating defeat to Liverpool on the opening weekend of the season. That’s one of two reasons, the other being the loss at Spurs just before Christmas, that Arsenal start this game below Chelsea and Manchester City despite beating them in the first half of the season.
The struggles of Manchester United mean it’s a three-team title race this year, one that may well be decided by who drops the fewest points against the other nine teams. Liverpool away is an awkward game for anyone, and all three title challengers have to go to Prenton Park.
Kick off 4.30pm.
