Report: Arsenal 0-0 Crystal Palace
Arsenal: Misa; Fox, Williamson, Wubben-Moy, Batlle; Cooney-Cross, Stanway; Baum, Mariona, Kelly; Russo
Substitutes: Borbe, De Almeida, Catley, Holmberg, Little, Smith, Maanum, Foord, Blackstenius
Arsenal have dropped damaging points in the WSL, drawing 0-0 with Crystal Palace. Arsenal had over 25 shots but in truth created very few clear cut chances as Palace were happy to sit deep and keep everything in front of them.
Renee Slegers made three changes to the team that beat Brighton last weekend with Lotte Wubben-Moy, Kyra Cooney-Cross, and Chloe Kelly coming into the lineup. Steph Catley, Kim Little, and Olivia Smith dropped to the bench. Élisa De Almeida was named on the bench, with Taylor Hinds, Geraldine Reuteler and Selina Cerci not making the squad.
Arsenal started quickly and could’ve gone ahead inside two minutes. Stanway played in Russo who shifted past the defender and shot with her left foot but Peyraud-Magnin parried.
On 6 minutes, Kelly’s cross was cleared but only as far as Mariona, who struck the bouncing ball but saw her shot bounce off the bar with Peyraud-Magnin stranded.
Cooney-Cross and Mariona combined down the right, with Mariona slipping Fox in but Peyraud-Magnin came out to smother the chance and Palace could clear.
Bartrip then denied Russo an opening goal. After a corner was cleared, Arsenal worked the ball back across. Fox crossed from a deep position and Mariona knocked the ball back with a header for Russo, who made connection with her shot but couldn’t get it past Bartrip on the line.
Arsenal went short from a corner and Cooney-Cross crossed for Mariona at the near post but with the ball bouncing she volleyed over.
Palace had a chance on their own on 35 minutes. From a set piece on the Palace left, the delivery was flicked on and Teyah Goldie, under pressure from Wubben-Moy, headed just over.
On 36 minutes, Arsenal missed a golden chance to go a goal up. Arsenal played quickly, and Baum played a brilliant low cross into the penalty box. Russo ran onto it but shot wide.
No changes were made at half time.
Arsenal worked the ball well, with Stanway going out wide to Baum. She drove inside across Goldie and shot, with Peyraud-Magnin parrying the shot behind for a corner.
The chances continued to come, though, with Slegers asking for more urgency on the touchline. On 51 minutes, Stanway picked out Mariona’s run with a long pass and she took control, went past Bartrip and shot just wide of goal.
Baum then hit the crossbar on 57 minutes. It was a well-worked move, with Stanway playing into Russo. Russo held the ball up and then played wide to Baum, who beat Goldie before shooting powerfully with her right foot.
Slegers made a double change on 60 minutes. Olivia Smith replaced Chloe Kelly, while Stina Blackstenius replaced Kyra Cooney-Cross.
Baum cleverly found Blackstenius with a reverse pass around the corner but Peyraud-Magnin was out quickly to smother the chance.
From the corner, Arsenal kept the ball alive, and after Baum’s shot was blocked, Williamson passed back to Russo, whose shot was low and hard but straight at Peyraud-Magnin.
Palace seized on a loose pass from Smith and Larkin shot from distance but straight at Misa, who saved.
Stanway tested Peyraud-Magnin from range on 72 minutes, but the goalkeeper parried the shot behind.
Slegers made another two changes on 75 minutes as Kim Little replaced Mariona and Caitlin Foord replaced Baum.
On 85 minutes, Frida Maanum replaced Alessia Russo.
Arsenal continued to keep some pressure up but there was no one looking to go around the outside of the deep Palace block, with everything in front of them. With defenders flooding the box, they were able to clear crosses or force Arsenal into shooting from range.
Two minutes were added on at the end of the game.
Arsenal won a throw late on, but Smith, who took the throw, was offside on the return back to her, summing up the entirety of her cameo and Arsenal’s attacking efforts as Arsenal dropped points at the Emirates again.
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