Arsenal Women moved up to third in the FAWSL 1 after beating Liverpool Ladies 3-0 in a dominant display at Meadow Park.
All Arsenal’s goals came in their more dominant second-half as Katie McCabe bagged her first league goal for the club before Jordan Nobbs hit her 50th Arsenal strike and then saw Siobhan Chamberlain tip her corner home.
Liverpool did come close to scoring on a few occasions but weren’t able to maintain their early pressure.
The result means that Arsenal are now unbeaten in their last 14 games.
Arsenal began their encounter with Liverpool at an electric pace as McCabe and Dominique Janssen were able to get some early shots off, but it was Liverpool to muster the best chance.
About ten minutes in, Caroline Weir bent a free-kick from just outside the box over the Arsenal wall. As a result, Sari van Veenendaal fumbled the effort but Leah Williamson was able to hook the ball away before a Liverpool boot could reach.
The visitors seemed to gain confidence following that and began to press the Arsenal defence well, making for a very end-to-end period in the game.
Arsenal, despite getting caught out a few times by the press, were able to whether the storm and began to look comfortable midway through the first-half.
Playing more centrally than in recent weeks, Beth Mead got her first chance of the game after smartly cutting by a defender inside the box, but her shot was aimed straight at Chamberlain.
After the break, it was the home side who started on the front foot much like in the latter stages of the first-half.
However, even though Arsenal were dominating proceedings for the most part, chances weren’t easy to come by.
In the last meeting between the sides Janssen netted in spectacular action from outside the box. This was something she tried to repeat at Meadow Park but this time, her shot arrowed straight into the hands of the Liverpool goalkeeper.
Following this, Arsenal began to build up some momentum and somehow came away from the Liverpool half without a goal after four quickfire efforts from Nobbs, Mead, Kim Little and Emma Mitchell who hit the crossbar.
Joe Montemurro’s side finally struck shortly after. Setting herself well on the edge of the Liverpool box, McCabe cleanly hit the pick of the night’s goals into the top corner:
? WHAT A GOAL @_KatieMcCabe9 pic.twitter.com/7xAr6oXAwo
— The FA WSL (@FAWSL) April 24, 2018
The moment of the night, however, was yet to come.
After being set free down the left wing, Mitchell whipped an inch perfect cross to the back post where Nobbs ran in to tap home for her 50th Arsenal goal:
A historic goal for a @ArsenalWFC LEDGE.
? @JordanNobbs8 gets her 50th goal for the Gunners! pic.twitter.com/ojBXj6xtoy
— The FA WSL (@FAWSL) April 24, 2018
Nobbs proved influential again as her corner flew dangerously close to Chamberlain in the Liverpool goal who could only help the ball into the back of her own net.
With that win Arsenal leapfrogged Reading Women, who are now three points behind the Gunners, to take third place.
They take on Birmingham City Ladies next where they can move into the top two, however, even if they do Manchester City, who are in Champions League action, will have a couple of games in hand over Montemurro’s side.
As for Liverpool Ladies, they await arguably their biggest game of the season as Sunday sees them welcome Everton Ladies to Prenton Park where its sure to be a well-fought encounter.
