Live Blog: Arsenal Women look to seal Champions League qualification at Villa Park
Arsenal need just a point to secure European football for next season, with a win delaying Chelsea securing the league title
Mariona Caldentey and Manu Zinsberger both start at Villa Park. Credit- Jake Smith
Live BLog Wednesday Apr 30th
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Full time: Aston Villa 5-2 Arsenal.
90+3' Now Robinson cuts inside past Reid but her shot is tame and saved by Zinsberger. 5-2
90+2' Robinson bursts forward and takes the ball to the corner flag, where Williamson and Reid combine to win a goal kick. 5-2
90+1' Four added minutes. 5-2
88' Final change for Villa as Nobbs is replaced by Corsie, who returns from a long injury absence. Actually, it's Daly who comes off. 5-2
85' Catley booked for taking one for the team by dragging back Grant. 5-2
81' Maanum on for McCabe. Foord at left-back on a night that has raised serious questions of Arsenal's squad depth. 5-2
81' Mayling comes on for Hanson to a standing ovation- she scored the goal of the game (so far). 5-2
76' Villa keeper D'Angelo is booked for timewasting. 5-2
73' Goal. Another counter-attack, another goal, Chasity Grant netting again with ease and it’s 5-2 to the home side. Arsenal are being cut through remarkably easily. 5-2
71' Goal! Lovely ball in from Katie Reid and Alessia Russo gets down low to halve the deficit. 4-2
70' Three changes for the home side as Maltby, Baijings and Robinson all come on. 4-1
67' Goal! Blackstenius in behind onto a long ball and it’s a good albeit simple finish. Arsenal have one back and have 23 minutes remaining. 4-1
67' Daly goes down softly under pressure from Reid and the referee says no penalty. 4-0
65' The delivery from McCabe is flicked on by Mariona and D'Angelo claims. 4-0
64' Reid with an impressive skilful run forward and she's dragged down by Pacheco for an Arsenal free-kick. 4-0
62' Foord comes on for Kelly. 4-0
61' Renée Slegers told me in January that she views Katie Reid as a future centre-back, but the teenager has been thrown in the deep end at right-back for her first WSL start against a dangerous Villa frontline. Emily Fox needs a rest, but Reid replacing her seemed a gamble. 4-0
59' Goal. Hanson plays through Daly and she prods the ball home for Villa’s fourth. This has gone from bad to embarrassing for Arsenal. Woeful defending. 4-0
53' Williamson with an instinctive effort from the resulting corner and D'Angelo pulls off another excellent save. 3-0
52' Blackstenius gets into the box and her opposite number Taylor mops up really well. 3-0
50' This is a different world from Sunday evening in Lyon. Arsenal have been calamitous at the back and Villa deserve nothing less. Incredibly poor from Slegers' side. 3-0
46' Goal! Things go from bad to worse for Arsenal as Villa score their third straight after the half time break through Grant, who finishes past Zinsberger after McCabe dawdled on the ball. A different world from Sunday night for Arsenal at the moment. 3-0
45' The second half is underway! 2-0
Williamson, Little and Russo replace Wubben-Moy, Pelova and Cooney-Cross.
And Alessia Russo.
Kim Little and Leah Williamson coming on.
HT: 2-0.
48' Wow. A chance for a third as Salmon sprints past McCabe but fires wide. 2-0
45+2' Goal! Hanson with a super strike in first half stoppage time to double Aston Villa’s lead, driving past Wubben-Moy and no chance for Zinsberger. 2-0
45+1' Three added minutes. 1-0
44' Mariona spreads the ball wide for Mead, and Pelova's cross is blocked behind for a corner. Deep from McCabe looking for Wubben-Moy and Grant deals with it well. 1-0
43' Arsenal very, very off it. Far too slow on the ball and making so many errors against a side that have been clinical on the counter. Too predictable in attack with D'Angelo mopping up every cross. 1-0
42' Reid gives the ball away and Hanson breaks, finding Salmon. Her pass is poor into Daly and Arsenal get back in their numbers. 1-0
41' Grant skips past McCabe and finds Salmon but she's dispossessed. 1-0
37' Another hopeful effort, this time from Reid, over the bar. Arsenal started brightly but have been nowhere near it since. 1-0
34' Mead now breaks into the box but again D'Angelo claims. 1-0
32' And now Hanson blasts over the bar as Villa search for a second! 1-0
Correction: Nobbs is the goalscorer.
30' Goal! Superb double save by D'Angelo before Salmon breaks for Aston Villa, squares for Daly and she finishes past Zinsberger to give Villa a deserved lead. 1-0
30' Kelly drives down the right and wins a corner with Pacheco getting something on her low cross to divert it behind. 0-0
27' Pelova times her run in behind and gets past Patten but D'Angelo does really well to smother the danger. 0-0
24' Zinsberger is up and able to continue, with Arsenal under real pressure from the home side. 0-0
23' Now Zinsberger receives treatment as both teams take on plenty of instructions from their coaching staff. Williams out to warm up. 0-0
22' Bo-Kearns and Salmon both get shots away but Arsenal defend both well as Villa continue to push for an opener. Two really important defensive interventions by Beth Mead in the last few minutes. 0-0
21' Now Taylor sends in a cross from deep and Daly could only prod it safely into the hands of Zinsberger- think she was caught between having a touch and shooting first time. 0-0
20' Arsenal now deal with Pacheco's corner before Mead makes a good headed intervention to prevent the resulting ball in reaching Daly. 0-0
18' Nobbs' inswinging corner is headed onto the top of the net by Daly as Villa continue to cause problems. 0-0
15' And now Taylor's pass looked to have fell just short of D'Angelo but the former Arsenal goalkeeper is able to get rid under pressure from Blackstenius. 0-0
12' Cooney-Cross has a go from at least 35 yards out after D'Angelo's clearance fell at her feet. 0-0
11' Great feet from Kelly to jink into the box but Villa defend well. An end to end game so far between third-from-bottom and second-top in the WSL.
9' Another chance for the home side as Pacheco volleys onto the roof of the net after Arsenal cleared a corner. A floated effort really. 0-0
7' Arsenal get away with one there as Wubben-Moy gifts the ball to Salmon playing out from the back, but her shot is blocked. 0-0
7' Mariona alongside Cooney-Cross in central midfield with Pelova in the ten. 0-0
4' Good corner delivery from McCabe and Wubben-Moy, who scored in this fixture last season, volleys over the bar. 0-0
3' A switch of play sees Kelly drive in from the touchline. Her cross is deflected behind for a corner. 0-0
1' Kelly and Blackstenius break after Villa give the ball away but the attack comes to nothing. 0-0
1' Underway at Villa Park! 0-0
Still 24 degrees here in Birmingham according to my phone, so surely the warmest game Arsenal have played this season! Shorts and t-shirt for me up in the press box for Arsenal's penultimate away trip in the league.
Here come the teams!
Villa boss Natalia Arroyo, who replaced Robert de Pauw earlier this year, labelled Arsenal the best attacking side in the WSL in her programme notes.
"Hi Ho Aston Villa" is belted out by the home fans. One of them is Olaf, the snowman from Frozen, who attends Villa Women home and away. I have no idea why.
Aston Villa have won their last two games to secure WSL survival in what has been a very disappointing campaign for the home side.
If the Gunners don't win against lowly Villa, Chelsea will clinch the league title by beating Manchester United. That game kicks off at 8:15pm.
Arsenal need just a point to secure Champions League football next season, although they could do that the more fun way by beating Barcelona in next month's final!
Villa subs: Talbert, Mayling, Corsie, Robinson, Baijings, Maltby, Sorrentino.
Aston Villa: D'Angelo; Pacheco, Turner, Maritz; Hanson, Taylor, Nobbs, Grant; Kearns; Daly, Salmon.
Subs: Williams, Fox, Williamson, Little, Maanum, Walti, Foord, Russo, Ilestedt.
Arsenal: Zinsberger; McCabe, Catley, Wubben-Moy, Reid; Cooney-Cross, Pelova; Kelly, Mariona, Mead; Blackstenius.
I was on BBC 5 Live a few moments ago building up to this evening's game, so apologies for the delay in getting this up and running. Here's your team news...
Good evening from a warm, sunny Villa Park!