Womens Super League: Arsenal 6 Tottenham Hotspur 1

Arsenal claimed the bragging rights in north London with a 6-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon to continue their one hundred percent winning record in the Women’s Super League.

Due to the injury problems at the club Joe Montemurro could only name four players on the bench but it certainly didn’t affect them by any stretch of the imagination.

The Gunners started with a quick pace as Viktoria Schnaderbeck was played in on the right via a smart pass from Leah Williamson before the Austrian international was taken down by Kerys Harrop.

From the resulting free-kick Katie McCabe put the Gunners ahead on 4 minutes as her effort sailed into the net from an acute angle beyond Rebecca Spencer in the Tottenham Hotspur goal.

Joe Montemurro will have been delighted with his sides opening and they doubled their advantage on seven minutes when Danielle van de Donk played a defence splitting pass to Vivianne Miedema who fired her shot across goal and into the net.

With the goal Miedema became a history maker as she became a record breaker as the top Women’s Super League goalscorer in history with 50 goals.

Karen Hills and Juan Amoros side responded well when Rianna Dean found herself in space before her effort was well tipped over by the superb reactions of Manuela Zinsberger in the Gunners goal.

It was then 3-0 on 15 minutes for Arsenal as Williamson played a superb pass over the top catching out the Tottenham Hotspur defence as Caitlin Foord ran onto the loose ball before slotting in her third league goal of the season.

Tottenham really couldn’t catch a breath as Arsenal were pressing and could have made it 4-0 on 25 minutes when van de Donk played a ball out to McCabe and her low cross found Miedema who slid wide from close range when she should have hit the target.

However on 36 minutes the Gunners did make it four when McCabe played a quick free-kick into Miedema as the Netherlands international made a really quick and intelligent run across the near-post before she fired in a shot beyond Spencer and into the net.

The visitors then made a double substitution on 38 minutes in a change of their system as Lucy Quinn and Gemma Davison were replaced by Rosella Ayane and Lucia Leon.

Miedema was then claiming her first half hat-trick as she slipped Foord in on goal the Australian could have shot herself but instead layed the ball off for Miedema to slot into the empty net.

It was Tottenham who started the second half the better and they won a penalty after McCabe was adjudged to have fouled Leon but on reflection it was a harsh decison on the Gunners.

Dean took responsibility for the Lilywhites from the spot but her effort was saved by Zinsberger flying across her goal and tipping the ball away from goal.

Foord was putting in an outstanding performance for the Gunners with her movement through the middle and she was played in by Miedema on 57 minutes but she was denied by a great save from Spencer as she spread herself across goal to claw the ball away.

However the Australian did get her goal on 64 minutes to make it 6-0 as Miedema played a superb pass into the feet of Mead before she fizzed a low cross into the feet of Foord and her effort deflected into the net.

Montemurro then made his first change of the game as the star of the show Miedema was replaced by Lotte Wubben-Moy for the final 25 minutes.

Karen Hills and Juan Amoros did see their side pull a goal back with Leon as she met a Siri Worm corner at the back-post before heading into the back of the Arsenal net after some poor marking from the home side.

Montemurro then made another change as he brought on Ruby Mace for Van de Donk after the Dutch international put in another really good display playing higher up the pitch.

Spurs didn’t give up and kept fighting as Alanna Kennedy met a cross from Ashleigh Neville at the back-post but she headed wide of goal when she should have hit the target.

Arsenal then brought on 17 year old Anouk Denton for her debut as she replaced Foord who put in a sensational performance as she scored twice and claimed two assists in the final talking point of a thrilling game.

Arsenal: Zinsberger, Williamson, Schnaderbeck, McCabe, Beattie, Gut, Wälti, van de Donk, Mead, Miedema, Foord.

Subs used: Wubben-Moy, Mace, Denton.

Tottenham Hotspur: Spencer, Percival, Harrop, Zadorsky, Kennedy, Neville, Filbey, Davison, Quinn, Addison, Dean.

Subs used: Ayane, Leon, Worm, Sulola.