Right, our WSL roundup has landed. With that, it’s time to wrap the blog, make a cup of tea and demolish a mince pie. Thanks for reading.
Speaking to Sky, Slegers admits her side were far from perfect. “This is not one of our best performances today. I think Liverpool gets the game where they want it to go, lots of set pieces, it’s scrappy, it’s duels. I think we gave them the game they want.
“I’ll have to review the game, there’s so much emotion from the end of the game, but we need to be more clinical, even though we’ve been doing well.”
Russo bats away a question in her post-match interview about whether Slegers should stay on full time, though she says that Eidevall’s former assistant has been “great” in her interim role. Whatever happens, Slegers has certainly burnished her reputation as a coach.
While Liverpool fans have to wait until 12 January for their next match, Arsenal are back in action on Wednesday against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Slegers has extended her unbeaten run to 10 matches and will be confident of bettering the 5-2 defeat inflicted on Arsenal in the reverse fixture, when Eidevall was still in charge.
Caldentey will be relieved that her missed penalty ended up being a footnote, with McCabe’s own-goal-that-wasn’t looking more significant in hindsight. Fine margins.
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Full time: Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal
Russo has the last chance of the game, firing straight at Micah from a narrowing angle, and with that the final whistle goes. It wasn’t the best performance from Arsenal but they did well to resist the pressure as the second half wore on. Liverpool had their moments, but lacked a cutting edge. Arsenal are now one point behind second-placed Manchester City, while Liverpool drop down to eighth.
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90+3 min: Fox wins a clever free-kick from a frustrated Holland, slowing the game as the clock ticks down.
90 min: It’s a pitched battle now, Liverpool making a last desperate push for an equaliser. Slegers gives her players some breathing space with another substitution, bringing on Lotte Wubben-Moy for Caldentey in an effort to shore up her defence.
87 min: Russo brings down Smith after a deft turn from the Liverpool forward, but avoids a caution.
84 min: Beard looks to his bench to save the day, bringing on Cornelia Kapocs, Gemma Evans and Niamh Fahey for Enderby, Matthews and Bonner respectively.
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83 min: Fox carves out space on the flank with a clever dribble, but Matthews produces another quality tackle to stop the Arsenal right-back in her tracks.
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81 min: Caldentey is booked after pulling back Smith. It’s been a difficult afternoon for the Spain international.
78 min: Little has a crack at goal from distance, but it’s deflected away. Arsenal are pushing hard for a belated second goal.
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75 min: Arsenal almost score at successive corners, McCabe forcing Micah into a save from a tight angle before Williamson heads just over. There are more changes, meanwhile, Lina Hurtig coming on for Foord, while Beard brings on Yana Daniëls and Hannah Silcock in place of Shaw and Nagano.
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74 min: Kyra Cooney-Cross lofts a dangerous cross to the far post, but there’s nobody there to apply the finish.
73 min: Arsenal waste a corner, Liverpool counter, but Shaw loses the ball in a promising position. The game is looking a little ragged at this stage.
69 min: There’s a break in play as Smith requires treatment following a tackle from Williamson. Beard is shown a yellow card after an exchange with the referee, meaning he’ll serve a touchline ban when Liverpool play West Ham in the FA Cup next month.
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67 min: Lucky escape! Van Domselaar tries to play out from the back and somehow passes straight to Smith, but the Liverpool forward can’t get the ball out from under her feet before the goalkeeper makes a desperate scramble to recover.
64 min: Replays suggest a hint of handball from Shaw in the box as she tried to clear that free-kick. The referee was unsighted and the Liverpool midfielder can breathe a sigh of relief.
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63 min: Caldentey wins a free-kick with a driving run, drawing a foul from Hinds. The Liverpool wing-back gets a booking for her trouble, though the ensuing set piece comes to nothing.
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61 min: Liverpool try to go through the gears in attack, but struggle to get up to top speed. Holland thinks she’s got behind on the left, but is flagged for offside.
57 min: Slegers makes a double change, Kim Little and Stina Blackstenius coming on for Maanum and Mead.
52 min: Liverpool win a corner and Van Domselaar roars off her line to punch the ball, clattering Steph Catley in the process. The defender requires treatment but, thankfully, it looks like she’ll be OK to continue.
49 min: Off the post! Mead gets into the box and takes a shot which, thanks to a heavy deflection, hits the upright. Russo then tees up Maanum in an excellent position, but she fails to hit the target. Arsenal could have killed the game there.
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48 min: Smith puts Daphne van Domselaar under pressure, but Williamson does well to get her body in the way and shepherd the ball back to the goalkeeper.
46 min: Arsenal come forward, getting on the front foot right from the off. Mead and Caldentey combine on the edge of the area, but can’t find a way through the mass of red shirts.
Second half kicks off
We’re back under way at St Helens Stadium. The two sides are unchanged.
We’ve got some correspondence. “I don’t think we’ve seen Arsenal play so sloppily this season – underhit passes, overhit passes, miscontrols, general gaucherie,” writes Charles Antaki. “But all they need to do is tighten up 5% and they’ll have the run of this game.”
Half-time, Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal didn’t have it all their own way in the first half, even if they just about shaded it. Liverpool pressed aggressively, created chances and, although they were far from convincing in defence, they could still wrest control of this game. Caldentey will have to hope her missed penalty doesn’t end up being a pivotal moment.
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45+2 min: Maanum gets in behind after a mix-up in the Liverpool backline and looks set to score, but Jasmine Matthews makes an excellent tackle to deny her.
42 min: Off the post! Holland crashes in a cross from out wide and McCabe comes within a whisker of a spectacular own goal, her attempted clearance hitting the woodwork only to bounce away.
41 min: McCabe gives away a free-kick after clambering over Zara Shaw in an aerial duel. Liverpool play it short, but quickly squander possession.
37 min: Russo looks to have got in behind one-on-one after a quick turnover, but she’s well offside.
34 min: Liverpool win another free-kick, Holland stepping up again. Her delivery is cleared and Caldentey starts a lightning counter-attack. The move slows down in the final third as Arsenal try to get numbers forward. Maanum ends up with the ball at her feet on the edge of the box, but fires wide.
32 min: Emily Fox swings in a cross from the right flank, finding Russo, but the forward can only get the slightest glance on the ball as it sails harmlessly wide.
30 min: Frida Maanum gives the ball away cheaply and it almost costs Arsenal, Mia Enderby and Smith combining but unable to craft a killer final ball.
Penalty missed!
Caldentey steps up to take the spot kick and, with a laidback run-up, sends Micah the wrong way. Unfortunately, it’s so laidback that she strokes the ball against the base of the post. It’s a huge let-off for the hosts.
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Penalty to Arsenal!
It gets worse for Liverpool. Bonner catches Russo as she bursts into the box and the Arsenal forward goes down. The referee points to the spot.
23 min: Mead is starting to cause problems for Liverpool, overstretching their back three. The hosts look increasingly shaky in defence.
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Goal! Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal (Russo 20)
Arsenal get a grip on the ball and begin to up the tempo. McCabe whips the ball into the box and Hinds clears at the cost of a corner.
McCabe takes it, sending a deceptive bouncing delivery to the near post. Liverpool fail to clear, Teagan Micah hesitates in goal and Alessia Russo pounces with a stabbed finish from close range. That’s her fifth goal in three games.
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16 min: Beth Mead makes her first real foray forward, getting in behind on the left. She cuts the ball back across the box, but nobody gets on the end of it.
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15 min: Leah Williamson gives the ball away in the middle of the park, Hinds and Smith combining to get it forward. Arsenal’s defence manage to recover and snuff out the danger.
12 min: Good chance! Taylor Hinds whips in an inviting cross from the left, Arsenal fail to clear their lines and it falls for Smith, who lashes a shot just beyond the stanchion.
10 min: Liverpool win another free-kick and Ceri Holland plays it short to Fuka Nagano, who spreads play. Eventually the ball comes back to Holland, but her shot is blocked.
5 min: Mariona Caldentey gives away a free-kick in a dangerous position with a rash challenge. Liverpool pump the ball into the box and Gemma Bonner takes a tumble after tangling with McCabe and Olivia Smith but, despite some hopeful appeals, no penalty is forthcoming. There wasn’t much in it really.
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4 min: The two sides size each other up, probing the wide areas for an early opening without success. Katie McCabe finds Caitlin Foord with a sweeping cross-field ball and she blasts a shot over the crossbar, though the flag goes up for offside regardless.
Kick-off!
You’ll Never Walk Alone echoes around the stadium, the players shake hands, both sides take the knee to applause and, without further ado, we’re under way on Merseyside.
Elsewhere, Manchester City have lost 2-1 at Everton. With Chelsea dropping points against Leicester yesterday, Arsenal now have an opportunity to make up some ground on the top two.
Speaking to Sky Sports before the match, Beard has given some insight into a tricky few months for Liverpool. “It’s been a good week, a positive week,” he said. “We’ve had a lot thrown at us this first part of the season, we’ve got a small squad, as everyone can see.
“When you have a small squad, it does have an effect on you. If you look through the programme, the team sheet, it’s tough when you have to keep changing the team as you don’t have the consistency.”
Arsenal’s defensive improvement has been one of the most marked signs of progress under Sleger. In her nine games in charge, they have conceded only three goals. Liverpool, meanwhile, conceded four against Manchester United last weekend. They need a serious reversal of fortune here.
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Liverpool’s home form has been particularly dicey this season, with Matt Beard’s side picking up only two points on their own turf. Arsenal, meanwhile, are unbeaten away from home in the league. The omens favour the visitors.
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Team news
Liverpool: Micah, Fisk, Clark, Bonner, Matthews, Hinds, Nagano, Shaw, Holland, Enderby, Smith.
Arsenal: Van Domselaar, Fox, Williamson, Catley, Caldentey, Mead, McCabe, Maanum, Foord, Russo, Cooney-Cross.
Preamble
It’s the last round of matches before the WSL’s winter break and Arsenal, the league’s form team after Chelsea, are set to take on Liverpool. Since stepping in as Arsenal’s interim head coach after the departure of Jonas Eidevall, Renée Slegers has presided over a nine-match unbeaten streak in all competitions and will be aiming to extend that run at St Helens Stadium this afternoon.
Liverpool are seventh as things stand and have lost their last three league games on the bounce, failing to score in any of them. They had more luck in the League Cup in midweek, beating Everton 4-0 in the Merseyside derby, and will be hoping to build on that momentum, but lost 2-0 when Arsenal last visited in January.
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