Key events
54 min Stanway combines with Russo, who is brought down 25 yards out by a heavy challenge from Maya Le Tissier. Arsenal play it short, Stanway and Smith exchange passes, but United crowd out their hosts before they can make a proper chance.
52 min Awujo comes off for Rebeca Bernal, the Mexico international who only joined United at the start of the month.
51 min Good chance! Batlle makes another of her driving runs forward and picks out Russo ahead of her. The angle is too tight for her to shoot, but she lashes in a dangerous cross which is only just cleared at the cost of a corner. Tullis-Joyce mops up before the hosts can do any more damage.
48 min Stanway picks out Blackstenius in the box, who works it to Smith, whose cross is cleared. Arsenal are pushing and probing.
Tom Garry
There are a few concerned-looking faces among the Arsenal crowd as they take their seats for the second half. They know their team can ill-afford to drop points here today after last week’s draw.
Second half kicks off
Arsenal get the game going again and immediately try to put pressure on United, who defend well.
The teams are back out, Gunnersaurus is doing his final high-fives, and the second half is about to begin. Who’s going to get the better of this one? Surely someone is going to score?
What did we make of that first half, then? Drop me an email with your thoughts.
Half-time, Arsenal 0-0 Manchester United
Both sides have played some good football and there have been decent openings for Terland, Caldentey and Blackstenius, but it’s goalless at the break. The second half is going to be very, very interesting.
45 min Huge save! Rodríguez sends a route-one ball up to the onrushing Batlle, who loses the ball on the edge of the area. It comes to Baum, however, who loops in an inch-perfect cross for Blackstenius to blast a header at goal. Tullis-Joyce is equal to it, making an acrobatic stop.
42 min Stanway plays an excellent diagonal ball from deep to Baum on the right, but she eventually runs into trouble. Baum then gets booked for dragging back Awujo as she looks to counterattack.
39 min It’s Smith v Sandberg again, the Arsenal forward knocking the ball past her opponent but unable to get round her to collect it.
37 min Stanway takes the free-kick, thumping in a low delivery. Caldentey dummies it and the ball rolls through to Williamson, but her shot barely tests Tullis-Joyce.
35 min Arsenal harry United off the ball with an energetic press, starting an attack which ends with Smith scuffing a shot at goal. The ball comes back to Smith, who manages to turn Medina and win a free-kick to the right of the area.
34 min Russo shows a lovely touch to play in Smith, but Medina slides in bravely to win the ball at the last second. Catley’s corner delivery to the near post is punched away by Tullis-Joyce.
32 min Julia Zigiotti gives away a free-kick to the right of United’s area after wrestling with Russo. Steph Catley whips an inswinging delivery into the box, but it’s too close to Tullis-Joyce who rushes off her line to claim it.
29 min Sandberg’s battle with Smith is turning into one of the most interesting duels of the match. The United left-back gets the better of the latest clash, muscling out the Arsenal forward and sending her tumbling off the pitch.
27 min So close! Smith plays Emily Fox in behind, she picks out Russo and she, in turn, tees up Caldentey, who whistles a shot just wide of the stanchion from the edge of the box.
Tom Garry
Manchester United have already looked more dangerous inside the opening 25 minutes than they did in both of their first two league matches combined, I’d say. This will be encouraging for Eva Olid.
23 min Smith gets the better of Sandberg with some lovely footwork, almost picking out Stina Blackstenius in the area. Georgia Stanway has a go on the follow-up, but it’s well wide.
20 min Two great saves! Medina slaloms forwards and picks out Elisabeth Terland, who forces Misa Rodríguez into a diving stop. Terland gets another opportunity soon afterwards, but Rodríguez is there again.
19 min Smith causes havoc on the right, but can’t pick out a teammate in the box. Arsenal are upping the tempo now.
17 min Decent chance! Arsenal charge forwards and the ball almost falls for Alessia Russo, but United manage to clear. At the ensuing corner, Russo pops up at the far post but the delivery isn’t quite right.
16 min Medina and Awujo combine nicely for United, but the ball comes back to Janssen who misjudges a long ball and hands Arsenal a throw-in.
14 min Andrea Medina cuts out a loose pass from Leah Williamson in defence, but United struggle to make anything of the turnover. Baum and Mariona Caldentey work together to force the visitors back.
12 min Ona Batlle bombs forward on the left and picks out Baum, but Hanna Lundkvist slides in hard to stop her. There’s no foul given, though Lundkvist didn’t seem to get much, if any, of the ball.
9 min Jess Park gets caught dawdling on the ball and Lisa Baum almost goes clear, but United’s defenders scramble to get back and force her out wide to the left. She rifles a low shot straight into the arms of Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who gathers gratefully.
7 min Smith finds herself in acres of the space on the right and tries to get around Anna Sandberg, but the United left-back ushers her, and the ball, out of play for a goal kick.
6 min Simi Awujo wins a free-kick in United’s half and the visitors ping it about, but it’s Arsenal’s turn to snuff out the danger. It’s been a fierce battle in midfield so far.
4 min Smith gets in behind on the right and arrows in a dangerous cross, but United clear.
Tom Garry
Despite the men’s team’s stunning defeat this afternoon, the atmosphere inside the Emirates is very positive and the rendition of North London Forever was a typically rousing one. There is also a strong following of away fans supporting Manchester United, especially considering their heavy loss to Chelsea last time out. Eva Olid, hoping to get her first points as a WSL manager today, has started the game standing out in her technical area, arms folded, watching closely.
2 min Dominique Janssen, the former Arsenal defender, slides in on Olivia Smith and catches her on the ankle with a follow-through. Arsenal use the free-kick to work the ball forward, but their attack fizzles out.
Kick-off!
With North London Forever still reverberating around the stands, United get things under way at the Emirates.
The teams are in the tunnel, Arsenal in red and white, United in their blue trackies with red stripes. It’s almost go time.
The warm-ups are done and we’ve got 10 minutes to go until kick-off. Who do we reckon is going to come out on top here?
Team news
Arsenal starting XI (4-2-3-1): Rodríguez; Fox, Williamson, Catley, Batlle; Stanway, Caldentey; Smith, Russo, Baum; Blackstenius.
Manchester United starting XI (4-2-3-1): Tullis-Joyce; Lundkvist, Le Tissier, Janssen, Sandberg; Miyazawa, Zigiotti; Park, Awujo, Medina; Terland.
Elsewhere, the revamped London City Lionesses made it two wins from three with a 4-1 victory at Charlton while Chelsea, who are hoping to regain their WSL crown, beat Birmingham 2-0 thanks to goals from Lexi Potter and Melvine Malard. Those results have pushed Arsenal down to sixth in the table, while United are second bottom with only Charlton below them.
Got any thoughts on this game? Or any of the other WSL action this weekend? Drop me an email using the link at the top of the page.
Meanwhile, things are not going well in the world of the Arsenal men’s team …
Manchester City have set the pace in the title race with three wins on the trot, beating Liverpool 4-2 last night. Here’s Tom Garry’s report, in case you missed it.
Preamble
It’s not been an ideal start to the Women’s Super League season for either Arsenal or Manchester United, though the latter are in considerably worse shape two games in. While Renée Slegers’ side were frustrated in their goalless draw against Crystal Palace last Sunday, making a whole host of chances but failing to find the net, Eva Olid has kicked off her United tenure with back-to-back defeats including a 5-0 loss to Chelsea.
All that adds a sense of urgency to this game, with the hosts looking to reassert their title credentials and the visitors under pressure to stop the slide. It should be decent entertainment, one way or another. Let’s get to it.