As Arsenal’s players lapped up the full-time applause, the sound of Wham!’s Last Christmas was ringing in the air while the travelling supporters gave their hearts to their interim head coach, Renée Slegers. After a ninth win from her 10 games in caretaker charge , it is easy to see how the Dutchwoman has won their affection, and even though her side were certainly not at their best against Liverpool, they still delivered the result they needed, which is perhaps the simplest sign of their revival in power in recent weeks.
This was a match the visitors should have won by a greater margin, and one that could have produced a flurry of goals had it not been for the width of the post; Mariona Caldentey’s first-half penalty, a Katie McCabe header inadvertently angled towards her own goal, and a deflected Beth Mead strike all struck the woodwork in an engaging game, which also featured Frida Maanum firing over the bar when it seemed easier for the Norway midfielder to score.
