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A double from Vivianne Miedema took her tally to 53 goals for the calendar year but Arsenal’s victory against Everton was marred by injury to Beth Mead.
Miedema scored either side of Kim Little’s penalty to ensure Arsenal lead the Women’s Super League table into the new year. A late goal from former Gunner Chloe Kelly was not enough to trouble the visitors but hinted at the resurgence taking place under Willie Kirk.
Though Arsenal have won each of their last eight games against Everton, the Gunners’ trip to Southport was not quite as forgone a conclusion as it has been in preceding seasons.
It is one year since Kirk made the move from Manchester United, having spent six months as Casey Stoney’s assistant manager, to Everton and the team’s turnaround has been impressive. Having picked up just three wins in the league last season, Everton already have five this term with eight games played.
Kirk was rewarded for his side’s wins against Liverpool at Anfield and Tottenham with the manager of the month award for November.
For the visit of the champions he put five in the Everton backline, hoping to halt the swagger of a side that have scored 20 goals in their last two games. The strategy failed. Despite some early pressure from the Blues, the Gunners eased into their flow, Tinja-Riikka Korpela blocking first Danielle van de Donk’s close range effort, then one from Miedema.
It took just 14 minutes for the Gunners to break through. A cross from Little on the far right was inch-perfect onto the head of Miedema who turned it powerfully through the hands of Korpela.
The pressure did not stop. Wave after wave of Arsenal attack pushed at the Everton defence, presence in the middle of the park sacrificed to the defensive setup.
Last October, despite a win, Jordan Nobbs’ ACL rupture saw the Gunners’ leave the north-west with their heads bowed. Just past the half hour mark, injury struck again. The England forward Mead collapsed to the ground following a tackle by Gabby George and screams reminiscent of Nobbs’s echoed up the stand as physios rushed to hold Mead’s gashed lower leg.
With the forward carried off, and eight minutes added on, Arsenal’s momentum was lost. Everton, though, could not capitalise. A George free-kick from inside her own half found Megan Finnigan at the far post but she could only side-foot her volley at Manuela Zinsberger.
If Nobbs’s late injury had come with her team already 4-0 up, the loss of Mead in the first half with only a single goal offered a sterner test of Arsenal’s character.
In the second half, though, with news that the injury may possibly not be as bad as first thought, they regrouped and it was Van de Donk, who stood over the injured Mead while she clutched her face, who would force a fine save from Korpela after cutting onto her right foot and firing low.
Four minutes later and they doubled their lead. Kelly tripped Little in the box and the Arsenal captain stepped up to confidently slot home from the spot.
Miedema added a third, scoring in her sixth consecutive league game to equal Little’s club record, meeting a low cross, which crept under Korpela, from Leonie Maier at the far post.
With 12 minutes left, Kelly pounced on a loose ball and drilled past Zinsberger to reduce the deficit – her fifth goal in eight league games.
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