Arsenal scored twice in stoppage time as England forward Beth Mead, playing her first game for 11 months after a serious knee injury, helped the Gunners grab a dramatic win over Aston Villa.
Mead came on in the 88th minute and set up the winning goal, scored by her Lionesses team-mate Alessia Russo to spark scenes of celebration for the majority of a crowd of more than 35,000 at Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners had been heading for their second successive home loss before Katie McCabe fired into the roof of the net in the 92nd minute to set up the incredible finish.
Villa had taken a first-half lead against the run of play when Maz Pacheco was left unmarked and powered in a header from Lucy Staniforth’s superb corner in the 25th minute.
But, in a frantic finale that also saw Arsenal’s Stina Blackstenius hit the post and have a shot cleared off the line, Villa could not hold on for what would have been their first win of the season.
More to follow.
Player of the match
LittleKim Little
Arsenal Women
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Squad number10Player nameLittle
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Squad number9Player nameMead
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Squad number15Player nameMcCabe
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Squad number23Player nameRusso
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Squad number19Player nameFoord
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Squad number21Player namePelova
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Squad number13Player nameWälti
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Squad number3Player nameWubben-Moy
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Squad number7Player nameCatley
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Squad number25Player nameBlackstenius
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Squad number24Player nameLacasse
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Squad number12Player nameMaanum
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Squad number28Player nameIlestedt
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Squad number16Player nameMaritz
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Squad number1Player nameZinsberger
Aston Villa Women
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Squad number9Player nameDaly
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Squad number7Player nameLehmann
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Squad number8Player nameNobbs
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Squad number33Player namePacheco
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Squad number22Player nameMagill
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Squad number6Player nameCorsie
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Squad number5Player nameStaniforth
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Squad number1Player namevan Domselaar
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Squad number15Player nameParker
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Squad number14Player nameTurner
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Squad number4Player namePatten
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Squad number19Player nameBlindkilde Brown
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Squad number2Player nameMayling
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Squad number16Player nameMcLoughlin
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Squad number17Player nameSalmon
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Squad number23Player nameLeon
Line-ups
Arsenal Women
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Zinsberger
- 16MaritzSubstituted forMeadat 88′minutes
- 28IlestedtSubstituted forPelovaat 64′minutes
- 3Wubben-Moy
- 7Catley
- 10Little
- 13WältiSubstituted forBlacksteniusat 76′minutes
- 15McCabe
- 12MaanumSubstituted forLacasseat 63′minutes
- 19Foord
- 23Russo
Substitutes
- 5Beattie
- 9Mead
- 14D’Angelo
- 21Pelova
- 22Kühl
- 24Lacasse
- 25Blackstenius
- 27Codina
- 32Cooney-Cross
Aston Villa Women
Formation 5-4-1
- 1van Domselaar
- 2MaylingSubstituted forLeonat 90+8′minutes
- 4Patten
- 6Corsie
- 14TurnerSubstituted forLehmannat 90+8′minutes
- 33PachecoBooked at 43minsSubstituted forMcLoughlinat 87′minutes
- 19Blindkilde BrownSubstituted forSalmonat 88′minutes
- 15ParkerBooked at 86mins
- 5Staniforth
- 22MagillSubstituted forNobbsat 73′minutes
- 9Daly
Substitutes
- 7Lehmann
- 8Nobbs
- 16McLoughlin
- 17Salmon
- 21Leat
- 23Leon
Live Text
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Match ends, Arsenal Women 2, Aston Villa Women 1.
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Second Half ends, Arsenal Women 2, Aston Villa Women 1.
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Offside, Arsenal Women. Katie McCabe tries a through ball, but Stina Blackstenius is caught offside.
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Attempt blocked. Stina Blackstenius (Arsenal Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Caitlin Foord.
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Foul by Cloé Lacasse (Arsenal Women).
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Alisha Lehmann (Aston Villa Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Kim Little (Arsenal Women).
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Ebony Salmon (Aston Villa Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Substitution, Aston Villa Women. Adriana Leon replaces Sarah Mayling.
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Substitution, Aston Villa Women. Alisha Lehmann replaces Danielle Turner.
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Attempt missed. Lucy Staniforth (Aston Villa Women) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left from a direct free kick.
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Hand ball by Victoria Pelova (Arsenal Women).
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Corner, Aston Villa Women. Conceded by Cloé Lacasse.
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Goal! Arsenal Women 2, Aston Villa Women 1. Alessia Russo (Arsenal Women) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Beth Mead.
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Stina Blackstenius (Arsenal Women) hits the left post with a right footed shot from the right side of the box. Assisted by Beth Mead.
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Goal! Arsenal Women 1, Aston Villa Women 1. Katie McCabe (Arsenal Women) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Victoria Pelova.
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Attempt missed. Caitlin Foord (Arsenal Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
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Corner, Arsenal Women. Conceded by Lucy Staniforth.
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Corner, Arsenal Women. Conceded by Ebony Salmon.
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Attempt blocked. Cloé Lacasse (Arsenal Women) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Lotte Wubben-Moy.
