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Louise Thomas
Editor
Gutsy Everton secured their first point of the new Women’s Super League season as they produced a strong defensive display to hold Arsenal to a goalless draw in front of 25,480 spectators at the Emirates Stadium.
Jonas Eidevall’s side were dominant throughout the game, but the Gunners failed to break the deadlock.
Arsenal made a strong start to the game and almost took the lead in the sixth minute when Katie McCabe tried her luck with a curling effort from outside the box that went inches wide of the post.
Moments later, Arsenal right-back Emily Fox’s perfectly-weighted cross rattled the frame of the woodwork as the hosts applied further pressure.
Midway through the first half, the hosts created some nice passages of play inside the visitors’ box, teeing up Kyra Cooney-Cross, whose effort went narrowly wide of the target.
The hosts had another real chance to open the scoring through Frida Maanum. The Norwegian launched a low shot that forced Everton goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan into a fine save at the near post.
Just before the half-time interval, Everton had their first effort on target after Veatriki Sarri’s deflected cross struck into the woodwork and was parried away by Arsenal stopper Daphne van Domselaar for a corner.
The resulting corner saw Justine Vanhaevermaet’s header cleared off the line by McCabe.
On the stroke of half-time, Gunners full-back Fox had another chance to get on the scoresheet with a low attempted shot which fizzed just wide.
The second half started in the same manner as the first as the hosts with Maanum tried to launch a curling shot, but she was denied by an excellent block by Lucy Hope to keep the scores level.
Heading towards the hour mark, the Toffees failed to capitalise on the swift counter-attack that saw Heather Payne deliver a dangerous cross that evaded Katja Snoeijs and was comfortably claimed by Van Domselaar.
At the other end, Maanum flashed her effort towards goal which sailed into the arms of Toffees stopper Brosnan.
The Toffees defended superbly in their own half as Beth Mead threaded a sublime ball into the path of Maanum, but Payne managed to clear the danger.
In the closing stages, Toffees keeper Brosnan was called into action with a reaction save that stopped Maanum’s ferocious volley towards goal.
Vanhaevermaet and Hope produced some heroic defending that denied two successive shots from the hosts.
In stoppage time, Arsenal substitute Caitlin Foord’s half-volley rattled the edge of a post, before Stina Blackstenius’ towering header inside the box was headed over the bar as both sides settled for a goalless draw.
Elsewhere, Marie Hobinger converted a stoppage-time penalty to earn Liverpool a dramatic 3-2 victory at Tottenham.
Cornelia Kapocs gave the visitors a 10th-minute lead with a superb 35-yard lob over Spurs goalkeeper Becky Spencer.
The hosts got back on level terms nine minutes after the restart when Taylor Hinds put through her own net from Jessica Naz’s cross and, although Hobinger restored her side’s lead in the 75th minute with a stunning free-kick into the top corner, Clare Hunt’s deflected strike once again levelled the score.
However, Hobinger snatched Liverpool’s first win of the season with a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
PA
