Review
Pre-season
After a disastrous 2014 season that had seen Shelley Kerr depart and ended with the club fourth in the table and losing the WSL Cup Final to Manchester City, Arsenal began to build towards their first full season under Pedro Martinez Losa. [1] [2] [3]
Their pre-season saw Arsenal compete in the International Women's Club Championship in China. In the their semi-final, a brace from Shinobu Ohno allowed them to overcome Okayama Yunogo Belle. [4] However, in the Final, it was they who were to suffer a 2-0 defeat, with goals from Rosana and Giovânia winning the tournament for Sáo José. [5]
Back home, Arsenal could only draw 1-1 with Aston Villa, but their form improved with wins against Doncaster Rovers Belles, Millwall Lionesses, Derby County and Yeovil Town to conclude their pre-season. [6] [7] [8]
In the off-season, Yukari Kinga and Shinobu Ohno both departed for INAC Kobe Leonessa. [9] After six years at club, Niamh Fahey left to play for Chelsea, whilst Christie Murray and Freda Ayisi were both signed for Bristol Academy and Birmingham City respectively. [10]
In response to this, Arsenal brought Lianne Sanderson back to the club from the Boston Breakers. [11] Also from the United States came Chioma Ubogagu to bolster Arsenal's attack. [12] Jemma Rose and Natalia Pablos were both signed from Bristol Academy, whilst midfielder Vicky Losada also joined the club from Barcelona. [13] [14] [15]
Meanwhile, Jordan Nobbs and Kelly Smith chose to extend their stay at the club, whilst youth products Carla Humphrey and Leah Williamson signed their first professional contracts.
March-May
Arsenal began the defence of their FA Cup title with a trip to The Den to play Millwall Lionesses. A Danielle Carter hat-trick helped the reigning champions towards a comprehensive 7-0 win, with Natalia Pablos and Carla Humphrey both scoring their first Arsenal goals. Lianne Sanderson scored on her return to the club, whilst Jordan Nobbs also got off the mark for the season. [16]
Like last season, Arsenal opened their WSL campaign with a trip to Notts County. And it ended with the same result. A clever free-kick routine saw Ellen White score against her former club. Two minutes later, White had the chance to double the Ladypies lead from the spot after she was fouled by Jemma Rose in the box, but could only roll her effort wide. It proved to be a costly miss, as Chioma Ubogagu collected Caroline Weir's pass with six minutes left to play and volleyed the ball past Carly Telford to level the match. [17]
Arsenal's attempt to retain the FA Cup was foiled at the quarter-final stage, with a 2-1 loss to Chelsea. It marked Arsenal's first home loss in the competition since 1994, and their first at Meadow Park since 1997. Ex-Arsenal stars Katie Chapman and Gemma Davison put Chelsea 2-0 up, and although Emma Mitchell was able to halve the deficit before half-time with a 30-yard rocket, Arsenal could not find the equaliser. [18]
Arsenal bounced back by recording their first WSL of the season at home to Bristol Academy. Last season, defeat in this fixture had led to the end of Shelley Kerr's reign. This time around, the result was reversed, as goals for Carla Humphrey and Vicky Losada, her first in Arsenal colours, secured a 2-0 win. [19] Arsenal's winning run continued, as Chioma Ubogagu's first-half goal proved enough to clinch all three points at the Academy Stadium. The result was made easier when Manchester City's Jill Scott was sent off at the start of the second half for head-butting Jade Bailey. [20]
A comprehensive 4-1 win over Sunderland was marred by a season-ending ankle injury to Kelly Smith, after she was brought down in the box by Abby Holmes. [21] The scores were level at 1-1 at the time, with Beth Mead having cancelled out Natalia's fifth minute opener. But after Holmes saw red and Natalia converted the resulting penalty, it became one-way traffic. Humphrey made it 3-1 not long after, and Carter rounded off the win with five minutes left to play.
A London Derby followed, with Arsenal having to play leaders Chelsea for the second time in the same month. This time, the two sides cancelled each other out at Wheatsheaf Park, a result that saw the Gunners miss out on the chance to leapfrog their London rivals into first place. [22] More points were dropped when Arsenal travelled to bottom side Bristol Academy. Ubogagu's converted Alex Scott's cross with a well-executed volley to give Arsenal the lead and temporarily move them to the top of the WSL. But the opportunity was lost when Nicky Watts rolled in a second-half equaliser from the edge of the box. With the WSL now paused for the 2015 World Cup, Arsenal went into the summer break in second place and only a point behind leaders Chelsea.
July
Following England winning Bronze at the World Cup, the WSL experienced a major spike of interest. Over 2,000 fans attended as Arsenal welcomed reigning champions Liverpool to Meadow Park. But with Nobbs ruled out with a hamstring injury, Arsenal suffered, as Liverpool roared into a 2-0 lead. Fara Williams' effort from range after less than 10 minutes gave the Reds the perfect start, and they soon doubled their money when veteran defender Becky Easton forced Williams' corner into the net. Arsenal recovered, and got back into the contest after the hour when Natalia lobbed goalkeeper Libby Stout. But it was Liverpool who had the final word two minutes from time when Asisat Oshoala took advantage of Marta Corredera's misplaced header and slotted the ball past Emma Byrne. [28]
Arsenal responded to their first defeat of the season with a 1-0 win away at Birmingham City. A clever one-two with Natalia set up Ubogagu to score the winner in the second-half. However, the game is remember for two bookings for two horror lunges by former-Gunner Freda Ayisi on Natalia and Leah Williamson, the latter flipping the England midfielder over the horizontal. [29]
Arsenal's WSL Cup run started with a group stage tie against Watford. It marked a first start for Arsenal for England youth internationals Chloe Kelly and Lotte Wubben-Moy, and the former crowned it with their first goal for the club. Leah Williamson and Rachel Yankey also added their names to the scoresheet. [30]
Back in the WSL, and Arsenal welcomed Notts County to Meadow Park. Jess Clarke, their frequent tormenter, gave the away side the lead after just 5 minutes, when she raced clear of the defence, rounded the keeper and slotted the ball into the empty net. It took until the hour-mark for Arsenal to find the leveller, Carter heading in Corredera's corner. Just over 10 minutes later, Natalia completed the comeback, reacting quickest when Jemma Rose's header came back off the bar. [31] Arsenal's win moved them back up to second place, with leaders Sunderland only ahead of them on goal difference.
Arsenal's next WSL Cup match saw them pitted against London Bees. Amber Gaylor gave the Bees an early lead, but they could only hold out until the 62nd minute. Carla Humphrey equalised and Natalia quickly followed it up with a brace to make it two wins out of two. [32]
August
Arsenal's title charge began to falter with the visit of Manchester City to Meadow Park. A win would allow Arsenal to finally move clear at the top of the table, but their plans were thrown into jeopardy when Emma Byrne missed a corner, allowing Lucy Bronze to head the ball into the vacated net. Alex Scott found an equaliser from nothing at the start of the second half when her cross deceived Karen Bardsley and looped into the net. However, parity did not last long, as Izzy Christiansen tapped in from close range and Toni Duggan unleashed a screamer from range to take the game beyond Arsenal. Natalia's header with nine minutes left proved only to be a consolation, as Arsenal fell away and opened the door for Manchester City to pass them. [33]
Up next were two back-to-back games against Chelsea, firstly in the WSL Cup at Wheatsheaf Park. Arsenal were grateful to two defensive errors between Marie Hourihan and her defenders in the first half, allowing Corredera to capitalise on both to give the away side a 2-0 lead that they never relinquished. [34]
Chelsea responded with a 2-0 win of their own in the WSL at Meadow Park. Vicky Losada's unfortunate own goal after just eight minutes gifted the Blues the lead, and Arsenal never recovered. The defeat was assured with less than 20 minutes to play, when Emma Mitchell brought down Fran Kirby in the box with a reckless lunge. Gemma Davison converted the spot-kick against her former employers, as Chelsea pulled clear at the top whilst Arsenal continued to fall further away. [35] As their WSL campaign crumbled, Arsenal concluded their WSL Group Stage with a perfect record, securing wins against Reading and Millwall Lionesses to top their group. [36] [37]
September-November
With a torrid August wrecking their title charge, Arsenal tried to rediscover their momentum with a trip to Liverpool. They were given the perfect opportunity to do just that, when Alex Scott was tripped in the box just before half time, only for Natalia to roll her effort wide of the goal. Luckily for Arsenal, it proved not to be costly, as they eventually took the lead when Dominique Jansse n scored her first goal for Arsenal with a well taken free kick. A first league win since July was confirmed when the much missed Jordan Nobbs converted Scott's cutback on her return from her hamstring injury. [38]
Arsenal's next trip took them to Wearside to face Sunderland. Ubogagu scrambled home a loose ball to give her side the lead, only for Mead to once again find an equaliser, rounding Sari van Veenendaal and slotting the ball into the empty net. Arsenal's lead was restored when Ubogagu scored her second, and Natalia confirmed the win when she took advantage of an error at the back to successfully chip the stranded Hilde Gunn Olsen. [39]
Arsenal's WSL Cup quarter final saw them drawn at home against title chasers and reigning champions Manchester City. Having already lost this fixture in the league, and to the same opponents in last season's final, Arsenal were in the mood for revenge, and they found it when Natalia's well executed volley gave them the lead just before half time. City responded in the second half, and went close when Natasha Harding's cross bounced off the crossbar and away to safety, but could not breakdown the Arsenal defence. [40]
Natalia followed up her winner against Manchester City with another in their final WSL game of the season against Birmingham City. Arsenal had to wait until the second half this time around, as the Spanish forward glanced in Carter's cross. A win, coupled with a Manchester City defeat and a huge goal swing could still see Arsenal snatch the last European spot. However, other results failed to go their away, and they ended their WSL campaign in third place, out of Europe and short of the title once more. [41]
Arsenal's season now rested on the WSL Cup. Seven days after playing them in the league, Arsenal welcomed Birmingham City back to Meadow Park for the WSL Cup semi final. Marta Corredera gave the Gunners the perfect start with a beautiful curling effort on 13 minutes. 60 seconds later, Carter had made it 2-0 when she raced clear of the defence and lobbed the bouncing ball over the keeper. Two minutes into the second half, Alex Scott thumped in the rebound after Sophie Baggaley had parried Corredera's effort. And although Kirsty Linnett was able to pull one goal back, Arsenal saw the tie out with relative comfort. [42]
The WSL Cup Final pitted Arsenal against FA Cup finalists Notts County at Rotherham's New York Stadium. Jordan Nobbs opened the scoring with an energetic burst down the right taking her into the box, before her fierce drive beat Telford at her near post. Notts County's plight worsened eight minutes later when Laura Bassett was sent off for a foul on Vicky Losada. Now with a player advantage, Arsenal took full control, with Nobbs doubling her tally with a spectacular effort from long range. It remained 2-0 until the final minute of injury time, when Ubogau placed her effort past Telford from a tight angle to seal a dominant display and claim the first trophy of the Pedro Martinez Losa era. [43]
