by Andrew Crawshaw
The Arsenal Women’s senior squad was ‘compact’ to begin with, our injuries have reduced the available players to an alarming level.
For the last match against Juventus we only had four substitute players of whom one was a senior squad member.
Goalkeepers
Sari Van Veenendaal – available for selection
Pauline Peyraud-Magnin – short term injury probably not available
Defenders
Emma Mitchell – available for selection
Leah Williamson – available for selection
Jessica Samuelsson – now recovered from long term injury but probably not at full match fitness. Will probably come on as a substitute in France and be at full fitness for 9 September (our league opener against Liverpool)
Louise Quinn – available for selection
Tabea Kemme – Recovering from injury sustained last February – aiming for a return sometime this month
Midfielders
Danielle Van de Donk – available for selection
Jordan Nobbs – Injured will probably get some time as asubstitute in France and hopefully fully ready for 9 September
Kim Little – available for selection
Lia Walti – available for selection
Dominique Bloodworth (née Janssen) – available for selection
Viktoria Schnaderback – long term knee injury sustained in pre-season against Everton (she underwent surgery last week which is reported as being successful)
Attackers
Danielle Carter – cruciate knee injury in last game of last season – out for most of season
Vivianne Miedema – available for selection
Katie McCabe – available for selection
Lisa Evans – available for selection
Beth Mead – available for selection
So of the 18 members of the squad currently six are injured with three of them long-term.
Normally this wouldn’t matter too much as we would have a wealth of younger players able to step up and fill in, but for a variety of reasons there has been an enormous exodus of our U21 players this summer. Some have gone to teams in the expanded second tier, the Women’s Championship, some have gone Colleges in America to continue their education.
Millwall Lionesses recently appointed our previous Head Coach Pedro Losa as their Director of Football and also appointed Arsenal’s development team coach Chris Phillips as Manager. The Lionesses lost a lot of senior players over the summer and have recruited heavily from our development squad to find replacements.
Our new Development team boss Lauren Philips will have her work cut out to re-establish our Academy’s standing and to provide clearer pathways for our leading players to remain with the club as their need for first team football increases.
We play two matches in Toulouse:-
- Friday evening 19:30 (UK time)
- Arsenal Women v Montpellier Féminines
Montpellier were beaten quarter finalists in last season’s Womens Champions League and came third in France last season – they should provide a good test. I can’t find any signs of the match being broadcast anywhere. Arsena.com say updates will be on the Club’s official twitter account
- Sunday Lunchtime 13:30 (UK time)
- PSG Féminines v Arsenal
The other team in the tournament is Bayern Munich but, rather like our Emirates Cup, the overall result is based on each club playing twice.
COYG
- Eight years late a TV station finally confirms the referee bias against Arsenal
- After Deadline Day August 2018 – The full Arsenal Squad that remains
- Arsenal transfers – the full table of all 122 rumours, plus the view from White Hart Lane.
Here’s how we line up tonight vs @MontpellierHSC
Van Veenendaal, Bloodworth, Williamson, Quinn, Mitchell, Walti, Little, van de Donk, Mead, Evans, Miedema
Subs: Peyraud-Magnin, McCabe, Samuelsson, Nobbs, Kuyken, Thomas
Küken and Thomas are youngsters
First big chance to Arsenal on 22 minutes
Miedema and Mead combine quickly on the edge of the box, but the latter drags her shot just wide of the post ? 0-0 ? (22) #WeAreTheArsenal
Second big chance and Montpellier take the lead
Goal for Montpellier. Blackstenius races through on goal and slots the ball under Van Veenendaal
1-0 (22)
#WeAreTheArsenal
Should be one all but…
The referee awards us a penalty… but Little fails to convert from 12 yards and fires wide of the goal ? 1-0 ? (34) #WeAreTheArsenal
GOAAAAL!! And it’s Meidema who’s levelled the score on the stroke of half time That’s more like it ?? ? 1-1 ? (45) #WeAreTheArsenal
HALF TIME: A wonderful passing move finished by Miedema ensures that we’re level at the break That’s her fifth goal in her last two pre-season appearances ⚽️ #WeAreTheArsenal
Second half underway – no changes noted. First chance of the half to Arsenal
Almost! Little plays Evans through on goal, but Murphy raced off her line to clear the danger ? 1-1 ? (50) #WeAreTheArsenal
Our first sub of the evening… ➡️ McCabe ⬅️ Miedema ? 1-1 ? (51) #WeAreTheArsenal
Evans’ deep cross picks out Van de Donk at the far post, but her thumping volley fires just over the Montpellier goal ? 1-1 ? (60) #WeAreTheArsenal
Game time for Jordan Nobbs
We’ve made our second change of the evening… ➡️ Nobbs ⬅️ Evans ? 1-1 ? (70) #WeAreTheArsenal
An inspired change as she makes an instant impact as we tale the lead.
GOALLLL! Nobbs receives the ball inside the box from a quick throw in and picks out Van de Donk, who makes no mistake in heading home from close range! An instant impact from our second sub of the night ?? ? 1-2 ? (75) #WeAreTheArsenal
Montemurro’s made his third change of the evening… ➡️ Samuelsson ⬅️ Mitchell ? 1-2 ? (81) #WeAreTheArsenalInto the last 10 minutes – another returnee from injury gets game time.
We’ve made another substitution… ➡️ Kuyken ⬅️ Van de Donk ? 1-2 ? (86) #WeAreTheArsenal
Youngster Anna Kuken comes on for the last five minutes – we are still winning by 2 – 1
And the final whistle has gone
FULL TIME: Goals from @VivianneMiedema and @DanielleDonk help us to complete a comeback against @MontpellierHSC in the Toulouse International Ladies Cup
#WeAreTheArsenal
Well done Ladies now on to Sunday and PSG
Thanks Andrew. It’s amazing how anxious I get for any Arsenal team. Hope we win again on Sunday.
Well done the ladies , and great reporting , as usual Andrew. Thanks.
Well done to the ladies. Anything Arsenal gets me excited. I wish them great success this season. Thanks Andrew for always keeping us updated. Thanks Untold and Untolders.. I do wish we enjoy a wonderful season at Arsenal, Senior team, U23s and the Ladies. Everything Arsenal. #WeAreTheArsenal.
OP. Old habits die hard, parking the bus after 3 minutes. JM will turn the Unhappy One.
Not about the women’s team, but is Arsenal.
Evening (not) Standard has a headline of “Emile Smith Rowe scores twice as Arsenal U21s lose 6-5 to Manchester City in Premier League 2 thriller”on this URL https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/arsenal-man-city-emile-smith-rowe-scores-twice-u21s-lose-6-5-premier-league-2-thriller-a3909161.html
It’s not unusual for the sprts medja to make mistakes, especially with headlines. What was Premier League 2 was U21 last year, it is U23 this season.
As this was the first game day of matches, for us to lose currently has us in dead last place. I hope this situation improves to the point where we are first, or near first. It sounds like it was a good game.
I don’t believe there is writeup at Arsenal.com yet.