Arsenal Women thump Tottenham 4-0 in front of a record WSL crowd

Goals from Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema, and Rafaelle Souza saw Arsenal thump Tottenham 4-0 in front of a record WSL crowd of over 47,000.

Jonas Eidevall made two changes to Arsenal’s lineup from midweek, with Caitlin Foord and Katie McCabe replacing Stina Blackstenius and Lina Hurtig. Arsenal started brightly and could’ve been inside within two minues: Lia Wälti won the ball on the edge of the area, and her cutback found an unmarked Beth Mead, whose goal-bound shot was blocked by Ashleigh Neville.

Mead, though, would open the scoring on 5 minutes. Kim Little nutmegged her way past pressure, and played the ball down the left to Mead. Mead’s cross was blocked, and when she got the ball back, she went for goal, curling her shot into the far corner, giving Rebecca Spencer no chance. That is now the 4th goal Mead has scored at the Emirates in WSL games, scoring in each one.

Arsenal kept up the pressure going, though couldn’t create many clear cut chances. Caitlin Foord had a dangerous cutback cut out, and then went close with a flicked header from a Katie McCabe cross.

Arsenal, though, would get one clear cut chance before the end of the half. Rebecca Spencer played short to Eveliina Summanen. A loose touch put her under pressure from Foord, who won possession, with the ball bouncing kindly to Miedema who calmly slotted past Spencer to make it 2-0.

Shortly into the second half, Arsenal put the game beyond doubt. Mead’s in-swinging corner was headed in by Rafaelle, who rose brilliantly to meet the cross and plant it in the far-corner—meaning that a Brazilian has scored in each of Arsenal’s first-team matches in the 2022/23 campaign at the Emirates.

Miedema made it 4 on 69 minutes. A corner was taken quickly by Mead, and Steph Catley floated a left footed cross right into the six yard box, where Miedema was unmarked, and could flick home.

With Spurs becoming more desperate in their challenges, Jonas Eidevall rang the changes, with Arsenal having the second leg of their Champions League qualifier on Wednesday. Despite the changes, Spurs offered no threat, with Tottenham not having a single touch in the Arsenal penalty box until the 75th minute. Arsenal could’ve added a fifth late on, with Frida Maanum’s cross being stabbed over the bar by fellow substitute Lina Hurtig.

Arsenal: Zinsberger; Wienroither, Williamson, Rafaelle Souza (Wubben-Moy 87’), Catley; Wälti, Little (Maanum 86’); Mead (Hurtig 74’), Miedema (Nobbs 69’), McCabe; Foord (Blackstenius 69’)
Substitutes not used: Marckese, Beattie, Maritz, Iwabuchi

Goals: Mead 5’, Miedema 44’, 69’, Rafaelle 54’