Vivianne Miedema became the first player to reach 100 Women’s Super League goal contributions as leaders Arsenal saw off Birmingham.
The highest scorer in WSL history, Miedema doubled Arsenal’s lead with a cool first-half finish at Meadow Park.
Rafaelle Souza had opened the scoring and Beth Mead put Arsenal 3-0 up.
Libby Smith and Lucy Quinn gave Birmingham hope, but Caitlin Foord’s late strike moved Arsenal eight points clear at the top of the table.
Arsenal last won the WSL in 2019 and this result gives them a handy cushion over reigning champions Chelsea, although Emma Hayes’ side have three games in hand.
Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall said: “We were in total control, playing well, then we conceded a goal and then another out of nothing. It looked like we just wanted the game to end.
“But you can’t play football with fear and I’m happy we scored the fourth goal.”
In Miedema, Arsenal have the league’s crowning talent and she oozed class throughout. Her 100 goal contributions comprise 70 goals and 30 assists since her arrival in 2017.
While she described her 10th of the season as “an ugly goal”, it is more than Birmingham had scored in total in the WSL this season before the game.
Arsenal’s defeat by the Blues eight weeks ago was the shock result of the campaign, but it remains the only victory of a difficult season for Darren Carter’s team.
Birmingham struggled to create anything yet found some spirit in the last 15 minutes to punish defensive complacency from their hosts, Smith bundling home and Quinn threatening a spectacular comeback with a fine finish.
Eidevall’s side looked nervous as Birmingham hunted an unlikely point, but broke away and clinched the points as Foord fired home in stoppage time.
Line-ups
Arsenal Women
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Zinsberger
- 26WienroitherBooked at 75mins
- 6Williamson
- 2Carvalho Souza
- 7CatleySubstituted forHeathat 72′minutes
- 10LittleSubstituted forMaanumat 72′minutes
- 11MiedemaSubstituted forIwabuchiat 72′minutes
- 13WältiBooked at 61mins
- 9MeadSubstituted forNobbsat 90+3′minutes
- 25BlacksteniusSubstituted forFoordat 60′minutes
- 15McCabe
Substitutes
- 3Wubben-Moy
- 5Beattie
- 8Nobbs
- 12Maanum
- 16Maritz
- 18Williams
- 19Foord
- 23Iwabuchi
- 77Heath
B’ham City Women
Formation 3-4-3
- 1Hourihan
- 30LawleyBooked at 44mins
- 4Quinn
- 3Scott
- 14Finn
- 10Murray
- 7Sarri
- 25HollowayBooked at 58mins
- 23WhelanSubstituted forRyan-Doyleat 75′minutes
- 12Smith
- 17Quinn
Substitutes
- 22Ryan-Doyle
- 27Jenner
- 29Jones
- 32Cowie
- 39Timms
- 40Cole
- Referee:
- Robert Massey-Ellis
Live Text
Match ends, Arsenal Women 4, Birmingham City Women 2.
Second Half ends, Arsenal Women 4, Birmingham City Women 2.
Substitution, Arsenal Women. Jordan Nobbs replaces Beth Mead.
Goal! Arsenal Women 4, Birmingham City Women 2. Caitlin Foord (Arsenal Women) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Lia Wälti.
Corner, Arsenal Women. Conceded by Harriet Scott.
Beth Mead (Arsenal Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Veatriki Sarri (Birmingham City Women).
Caitlin Foord (Arsenal Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Louise Quinn (Birmingham City Women).
Goal! Arsenal Women 3, Birmingham City Women 2. Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal.
Foul by Caitlin Foord (Arsenal Women).
Veatriki Sarri (Birmingham City Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Tobin Heath (Arsenal Women) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Christie Murray (Birmingham City Women).
Corner, Arsenal Women. Conceded by Veatriki Sarri.
Foul by Tobin Heath (Arsenal Women).
Christie Murray (Birmingham City Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Beth Mead (Arsenal Women) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City Women).
Foul by Mana Iwabuchi (Arsenal Women).
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