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




Live BLog Wednesday Apr 30th

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  1. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:54 #7281

    Full time: Aston Villa 5-2 Arsenal.

  2. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:53 #7280

    90+3' Now Robinson cuts inside past Reid but her shot is tame and saved by Zinsberger. 5-2

  3. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:52 #7279

    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

  4. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:50 #7278

    90+1' Four added minutes. 5-2

  5. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:48 #7277

    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

  6. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:45 #7276

    85' Catley booked for taking one for the team by dragging back Grant. 5-2

  7. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:41 #7275

    81' Maanum on for McCabe. Foord at left-back on a night that has raised serious questions of Arsenal's squad depth. 5-2

  8. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:40 #7274

    81' Mayling comes on for Hanson to a standing ovation- she scored the goal of the game (so far). 5-2

  9. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:35 #7273

    76' Villa keeper D'Angelo is booked for timewasting. 5-2

  10. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:33 #7272

    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

  11. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:31 #7271

    71' Goal! Lovely ball in from Katie Reid and Alessia Russo gets down low to halve the deficit. 4-2

  12. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:30 #7270

    70' Three changes for the home side as Maltby, Baijings and Robinson all come on. 4-1

  13. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:28 #7269

    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

  14. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:27 #7268

    67' Daly goes down softly under pressure from Reid and the referee says no penalty. 4-0

  15. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:24 #7267

    65' The delivery from McCabe is flicked on by Mariona and D'Angelo claims. 4-0

  16. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:24 #7266

    64' Reid with an impressive skilful run forward and she's dragged down by Pacheco for an Arsenal free-kick. 4-0

  17. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:22 #7265

    62' Foord comes on for Kelly. 4-0

  18. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:21 #7264

    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

  19. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:19 #7263

    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

  20. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:12 #7262

    53' Williamson with an instinctive effort from the resulting corner and D'Angelo pulls off another excellent save. 3-0

  21. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:12 #7261

    52' Blackstenius gets into the box and her opposite number Taylor mops up really well. 3-0

  22. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:10 #7260

    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

  23. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:07 #7259

    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

  24. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:05 #7258

    45' The second half is underway! 2-0

  25. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:04 #7257

    Williamson, Little and Russo replace Wubben-Moy, Pelova and Cooney-Cross.

  26. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:03 #7256

    And Alessia Russo.

  27. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 19:02 #7255

    Kim Little and Leah Williamson coming on.

  28. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:49 #7254

    HT: 2-0.

  29. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:48 #7253

    48' Wow. A chance for a third as Salmon sprints past McCabe but fires wide. 2-0

  30. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:47 #7252

    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

  31. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:45 #7251

    45+1' Three added minutes. 1-0

  32. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:44 #7250

    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

  33. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:42 #7249

    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

  34. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:41 #7248

    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

  35. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:40 #7247

    41' Grant skips past McCabe and finds Salmon but she's dispossessed. 1-0

  36. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:37 #7246

    37' Another hopeful effort, this time from Reid, over the bar. Arsenal started brightly but have been nowhere near it since. 1-0

  37. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:34 #7245

    34' Mead now breaks into the box but again D'Angelo claims. 1-0

  38. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:32 #7244

    32' And now Hanson blasts over the bar as Villa search for a second! 1-0

  39. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:31 #7243

    Correction: Nobbs is the goalscorer.

  40. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:30 #7242

    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

  41. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:29 #7241

    30' Kelly drives down the right and wins a corner with Pacheco getting something on her low cross to divert it behind. 0-0

  42. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:26 #7240

    27' Pelova times her run in behind and gets past Patten but D'Angelo does really well to smother the danger. 0-0

  43. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:23 #7239

    24' Zinsberger is up and able to continue, with Arsenal under real pressure from the home side. 0-0

  44. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:23 #7238

    23' Now Zinsberger receives treatment as both teams take on plenty of instructions from their coaching staff. Williams out to warm up. 0-0

  45. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:22 #7237

    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

  46. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:21 #7236

    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

  47. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:20 #7235

    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

  48. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:18 #7234

    18' Nobbs' inswinging corner is headed onto the top of the net by Daly as Villa continue to cause problems. 0-0

  49. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:15 #7233

    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

  50. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:12 #7232

    12' Cooney-Cross has a go from at least 35 yards out after D'Angelo's clearance fell at her feet. 0-0

  51. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:10 #7231

    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.

  52. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:08 #7230

    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

  53. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:07 #7229

    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

  54. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:06 #7228

    7' Mariona alongside Cooney-Cross in central midfield with Pelova in the ten. 0-0

  55. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:03 #7227

    4' Good corner delivery from McCabe and Wubben-Moy, who scored in this fixture last season, volleys over the bar. 0-0

  56. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:02 #7226

    3' A switch of play sees Kelly drive in from the touchline. Her cross is deflected behind for a corner. 0-0

  57. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:01 #7225

    1' Kelly and Blackstenius break after Villa give the ball away but the attack comes to nothing. 0-0

  58. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 18:00 #7224

    1' Underway at Villa Park! 0-0

  59. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 17:59 #7223

    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.

  60. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 17:56 #7222

    Here come the teams!

  61. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 17:55 #7221

    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.

  62. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 17:51 #7220

    "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.

  63. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 17:50 #7219

    Aston Villa have won their last two games to secure WSL survival in what has been a very disappointing campaign for the home side.

  64. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 17:45 #7218

    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.

  65. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 17:45 #7217

    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!

  66. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 17:43 #7216

    Villa subs: Talbert, Mayling, Corsie, Robinson, Baijings, Maltby, Sorrentino.

  67. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 17:41 #7215

    Aston Villa: D'Angelo; Pacheco, Turner, Maritz; Hanson, Taylor, Nobbs, Grant; Kearns; Daly, Salmon.

  68. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 17:41 #7214

    Subs: Williams, Fox, Williamson, Little, Maanum, Walti, Foord, Russo, Ilestedt.

  69. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 17:40 #7213

    Arsenal: Zinsberger; McCabe, Catley, Wubben-Moy, Reid; Cooney-Cross, Pelova; Kelly, Mariona, Mead; Blackstenius.

  70. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 17:40 #7212

    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...

  71. Freddie Cardy at Villa Park: 17:40 #7211

    Good evening from a warm, sunny Villa Park!


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