Brighton and Hove Albion 0 Arsenal Women 3
Arsenal Women made it nine games unbeaten as goals from Stina Blackstenius and Beth Mead resigned Brighton and Hove Albion Women to a 3-0 defeat.
With 2,539 fans in attendance, Brighton, in their yellow and blue kit in support of Ukraine, were resolute in the opening 20 minutes at the People’s Pension Stadium, in Crawley, with Megan Walsh making a string of saves.
Walsh pulled off a stunning double save in the 12th minute, blocking Vivianne Miedema’s half volley and Backstenius’s rebound, but the hosts’ resolve lasted just seven minutes more.
In the 27th minute, Brighton invited pressure deep in their own half and Arsenal obliged, with Caitlin Foord setting up Blackstenius to open the floodgates.
Arsenal then carved Brighton open in the 33rd minute when Miedema pounced on a loose ball. The Dutch attacker threaded the ball through Emily Simpkins’ legs to set up Mead, who made it 2-0.
Brighton did fashion a chance in the 37th minute, with Simpkins looking to make amends, but she ended up dragging her effort wide.
With Brighton threatening to pull one back, Arsenal cranked up the heat in the 41st minute when Blackstenius grabbed her second of the night.
Brighton manager Hope Powell made one change at half-time, bringing on Danique Kerkdijk for Fliss Gibbons.
Arsenal, though, came flying out of the blocks in the second half, fashioning chance after chance with Miedema and Foord running the show.
Momentum swung Brighton’s way with a sustained five-minute spell of possession around the 65th minute, but it was a case of too little too late.
A double substitution from Powell to bring on Maisie Symonds and Julia Zigiotti for Danielle Carter and Aileen Whelan shored things up, but Arsenal were comfortable for most of the second half.
Geummin Lee was among the few bright spots for Brighton in a rough loss. The 27-year-old South Korean was all over the pitch, bamboozling Arsenal defenders at will.
It ended up being a bittersweet afternoon for Brighton’s 19-year-old Maya Le Tissier, who broke the record for most Women’s Super League appearances as a teenager (53 apps).
Brighton are due to face West Ham next, on Sunday 27 March, with Arsenal facing Tottenham in their next WSL fixture on Saturday 26 March.
