In Latin America we have a saying: “So close, yet so far.” That’s the perfect summary of Manchester United Women’s Team’s 1-1 draw in their visit to league leaders Arsenal this Saturday.
The game started off quite well for United with a lot of initiative and intense pressing, quickly making the Gunners uncomfortable on the pitch and the Red Devils were rewarded in the 11th minute when striker Alessia Russo scored with a header after a Katie Zelem corner. It was United’s sixth goal from a corner in the Women’s Super League and Russo’s fifth in the league so far this season.
United started to give away the ball and in hindsight that was probably a mistake. Sure, by and large Arsenal were nullified during the vast majority of the game with the Red Devils being quite hard-working and efficient without the ball, but at 1-0 it was testing their luck way too much. Goalkeeper Mary Earps making a couple of amazing saves during both halves was a clear signing that United were threading a thin line.
Second half went underway and it was a bit more of the same, although things seemed to be on United’s favour when Ella Toone had a great one-on-one chance, but she missed and this quickly went back to haunt her and her team.
Arsenal left-back Katie McCabe got sent off in the 75th minute and things seem to improve for United, but then new Gunners signing, Swedish striker Stina Blackstenius, got their team’s first clear-cut chance in the 79th minute, facing Mary Earps on a one-on-one situation, and she didn’t fail, equaling the score.
Afterwards, both teams failed to make an impact–Arsenal were not threatening after their goal and United failed to regain composure after losing their lead, which has been a common during Marc Skinner’s tenure when they are levelled later in the game.
Overall, a bittersweet result for United. Sure, Arsenal away is, along with Chelsea away, the toughest match in the league, but having the lead and an extra player had it all set up for a win and the one defensive mishap led to them losing their lead, which is definitely a shame because Maria Thorisdottir and new signing Diane Caldwell, who replaced starter Aoife Mannion due to injury before the game, had a solid game at centre-back.
United still have a lot of games to secure Champions League football for the first time in the history of the women’s team, so they can make sure that this game is not looked back on with regret.
