Arsenal Women clinch WSL title

In front a record FA WSL crowd at the Amex Stadium, Arsenal Women strolled to a 4-0 win against Brighton and Hove Albion Women, sealing the league title for the Gunners. Goals from Vivianne Miedema and Katie McCabe put Arsenal 2-0 up by half time, and Danielle van de Donk and Beth Mead added goals in the second half to give the score line a a reflection of Arsenal’s dominance throughout the league campaign.

Miedema, as Arsenal’s (and the league’s) top scorer will get the limelight, and her opener was a special goal, pinged off the woodwork from 25-yards, but it is appropriate that Arsenal’s supporting cast got in on the act, for each has been crucial in maintaining Arsenal’s title challenge as the squad was decimated by injuries, including season-ending injuries for Jordan Nobbs and Lia Wälti.

Miedema opened the scoring with her 6th minute thunderbolt, and then assisted Arsenal’s second. Receiving possession from Kim Little in a number 10 position, Miedema’s chipped through ball found the run of Katie McCabe—running into the space vacated by Miedmea—and McCabe steered a delicate finish into the corner, the 20th goal contribution she has made this season.

Arsenal weren’t done; on 69 minutes, Danielle van de Donk passed to Beth Mead on the left-hand side. Mead drove inside, and from about 30 yards fired a shot into the top-right corner to make it 3-0, adding to her own collection of strikes from the last month and a half.

Van de Donk’s guided finish on 75 minutes made it 4-0, as Arsenal turned on the style. At that point, the title was sealed, and Manchester City Women went 1-0 down to Yeovil. Though City would come back, it would not matter; Arsenal were the champions.

In getting the job done and avoiding a final-day finale for the title against Manchester City, manager Joe Montemurro credited the players and staff: “We controlled games, we controlled whether we were going to win it or not going to win it, and that’s a beautiful place to be. These things don’t happen much in life but the way they did it, the way they went about it, was fantastic.” This was especially true in the last half of the season; after losing against Chelsea in January, Arsenal did not lose again. They have won 17 of 19 games this season, only losing to Chelsea and City, who, unlike Arsenal, have dropped points elsewhere.