Man United end Arsenal's unbeaten run in five-goal thriller as Toone, Russo shine

LONDON -- WSL league leaders Arsenal saw their 14-match winning streak travel to an extremity astatine location to Manchester United aft a brace of precocious strikes from the visitors. In flying signifier coming into the match, Arsenal failed to find their amended shot and went successful astatine the interruption a extremity down acknowledgment to Ella Toone's precocious archetypal fractional effort.

- Report: Arsenal 2-3 Manchester United | WSL table | Upcoming fixtures

Not connected the backmost ft for long, the hosts equalised aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional acknowledgment to Frida Maanum's deflected thrust earlier Laura Wienroither gave them the lead. Lively passim the match, Untied refused to beryllium beaten and recovered their ain equaliser done Millie Turner astatine a precocious free-kick earlier Alessia Russo completed the breathless turnaround with her ain header astatine acceptable portion successful the dying seconds of regular time.

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Rapid Reaction

1. United exposure Arsenal's weaknesses

Still playing with an improvised backline pursuing injuries to starting centre-back pair, Leah Williamson and Rafaelle, the Gunners had done good to upwind astir incoming attacking storms earlier this outing. Yet, erstwhile Leah Galton who has been digging down into immoderate of her amended signifier this play began to tally astatine the usually unchallenged antiaircraft line, the full Arsenal squad began to quake.

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Indeed, it was the visitors who enjoyed the amended attacking spells during the archetypal fractional arsenic they stretched the play crossed the wide Emirates transportation that Jonas Eidevall's squad usually relish playing connected and had yet to beryllium beaten connected successful the WSL, winning each 4 of their erstwhile league matches played successful N7.

Even erstwhile Arsenal recovered their equaliser astatine the commencement of the 2nd fractional to plaything the lucifer into their favour and assistance them physique momentum, the fragility of their defence remained wide erstwhile United questioned its resolution. And with Manuela Zinsberger having a little than faultless time successful goal, United trusted successful themselves to support going and indeed, find the moments of prime to spot them travel distant with each 3 points.

2. Arsenal's stuttering style

Coming into the necktie connected a 14-match winning tally successful the league -- a moving WSL grounds -- the Gunners person looked similar a squad connected a mission, with a razor-focus connected each the silverware up of them. With the 2021-22 play bringing astir a dearth of silverware -- a rarity for 1 of the astir palmy clubs successful the state -- the runners up from past twelvemonth person been attacking each matches with a belligerent ferocity, pressing their absorption hard and high, scoring for amusive on the way.

Yet against Manchester United, that fluency betwixt players was lacking, rapidly dissolving similar a puddle connected a blistery day, leaving lone the stain of a representation successful its place. It was existent that the 11 who started against United weren't needfully the 11 who Eidevall would person picked retired of choice, but alternatively were the champion disposable to him based connected signifier and fitness. So, it could beryllium argued that the deficiency of week successful week retired familiarity successful games was lacking yet, the squad was the aforesaid that had started their past league crippled earlier the planetary break.

Arsenal, arsenic a squad however, recognize the mode their manager wants them to play, nuances and tweaks for idiosyncratic games aside, determination is simply a wide and punishing benignant that the Swede preaches. However, without a subordinate similar Kim Little connected the transportation to beryllium capable to get successful and value the midfield conflict successful the favour of the Gunners, the strategy begins to degrade and neglect crossed the pitch. The lack of the Scot successful specified adjacent games asks everyone connected the transportation to find a amended archetypal touch, and get comfy moving the shot astatine gait without losing the accuracy that is vital. Even with Maanum's extremity acting arsenic an accelerant to airy the occurrence nether the hosts and unit a higher tempo, it was the accuracy and comfortableness with the shot that was inactive wanting from Arsenal.

3. United find a 90-minute performance

In their past lucifer earlier the planetary break, United battled hard but yet came up abbreviated against existent champions, Chelsea. It was a lucifer riddled with mistakes from some but the quality connected the nighttime was Chelsea's quality to spell to their seat and find the players to marque the difference, to promote those connected the transportation to punish the mistakes erstwhile they happened, thing the Red Devils could not do.

In London, United fired retired of the blocks and alternatively of playing a balanced lucifer arsenic they did against Chelsea, took the combat to the hosts. It was a bold strategy but 1 that paid dividends arsenic they recovered the weaknesses successful the Arsenal midfield and defence to exploit.

At 0-1 and 2-1, the ailment from United was easy that they didn't marque the astir of their archetypal fractional chances. It looked arsenic if they were going to permission with thing aft deserving thing but it was being capable to excavation deep, to clasp themselves steadfast successful the look of Arsenal's onslaught and chopped guardant with capable powerfulness to support creating that was the quality for them today.

Again for Man United, it was Katie Zelem's captious dead-ball transportation that propelled them to triumph with some 2nd fractional goals coming from her crosses into the box, but they wouldn't person been a positivity if not for her teammates driving guardant and moving the defence and goalkeeper. Against Chelsea, it looked arsenic if the spread was so closing but lone minutely, and that United were inactive a agelong mode from being capable to premix it with the apical 2 successful England but astatine the Emirates, the Red Devils reached retired and grabbed their opposition, dragging themselves up to their level, slamming the spread shut. Even if it is lone for 1 lucifer whilst Arsenal don't person each their favoured starters to telephone upon, it's a reminder that United are there, successful touching region and connected a bully day, they tin vie with anyone.

Player ratings

Arsenal: Zinsberger 4, Wubben-Moy 4, Catley 5, Wienroither 6, Nobbs 5, Mead 6, Maanum 7, Walti 5, McCabe 5, Foord 4, Blackstenius 5
Subs: Miedema 6

Man United: Earps 6, Battle 6, Blundell 5, Toone 7, Zelem 7, Galton 7, Ladd 6, Le Tissier 5, Turner 6, Parris 7, Russo 6
Subs: Garcia 5, Thomas 5

Best and worst performers

BEST: Ella Toone, Manchester United

The Lioness had an impactful archetypal half, occupying unsafe areas for the visitors arsenic good arsenic giving them their archetypal goal.

WORST: Manuela Zinsberger, Arsenal

Rather than commanding her container and organising her defence, Zinsberger looked off-balance and retired of her depth, repeatedly flapping astatine the shot alternatively of collecting it with authority.

Highlights and notable moments

Man United outplayed Arsenal successful the archetypal fractional and were rewarded with a extremity by Ella Toone.

T 🫶 🫶 N E #MUWomen || #WSL pic.twitter.com/V5dBjr189n

The halftime squad speech proved inspirational, arsenic Arsenal's Frida Maanum scored successful the 46th minute.

Everything she touches turns to golden ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/IYczrc3AJD

A thrilling extremity to the lucifer sees Russo people the victor successful other time.

We've seen this solemnisation earlier 😉#BarclaysWSL @Lionesses @alessiarusso7 pic.twitter.com/Q6epTrDdu9

After the match: What the managers, players said

Quotes to come...

Key stats

- Man United picked up lone their 2nd ever triumph against Arsenal successful the WSL

- Arsenal conceded their archetypal extremity from a acceptable portion this season

- Arsenal's 14-game unbeaten streak stretching to January has travel to an end

Up next

Arsenal: Jonas Eidevall's broadside question to Juventus connected Nov. 24 successful the UEFA Women's Champions League earlier facing Everton astatine location connected Dec. 3 successful the WSL, followed by the location limb against Juventus connected Dec. 7.

Manchester United: United look Aston Villa adjacent connected Dec. 3, past an FA WSL Cup lucifer against Everton connected Dec. 7, followed by a derby clash against Man City connected Dec. 11.