Mary Earps frustrates Arsenal as London City Lionesses earn battling draw

Arsenal and London City Lionesses played out an entertaining 1-1 draw but the result did little to bolster European qualification hopes for Renée Slegers’s side as the visitors’ goalkeeper Mary Earps produced a fine display to thwart the north London side.

Frida Maanum finished off a superb team move for Arsenal to open the scoring early on but her goal was quickly cancelled out by a terrific finish from Isobel Goodwin and Arsenal eventually had to settle for their fifth draw in 10 Women’s Super League matches this season.

Arsenal had secured an impressive result in Barcelona on Thursday, drawing with the European champions, but this game against the WSL’s third-placed side felt as though it was of even greater importance, particularly if Arsenal wish to continue visiting venues such as Camp Nou next season.

Just like they had done away at Anfield last weekend, Renée Slegers’ team made a very bright start with energy, pace and the threat of Alessia Russo. Emily Fox’s shot was deflected wide, after a good move that included some excellent Maanum build-up play, before Ona Batlle’s long-range effort bounced just wide. It was not long before Maanum tucked in the opening goal after an intelligent cutback from Russo.

The visitors struck back almost immediately, though, as Goodwin did superbly to turn inside Leah Williamson, inside the penalty area, and then demonstrated the strength and composure to hold off Lisa Baum and fire a lethal finish past Misa Rodríguez with power and precision. It was a timely moment of class from the English striker in front of the watching gaze of the England head coach, Sarina Wiegman, who was in the stands ahead of naming her next England squad on Tuesday morning.

Earps then saved well from Baum to keep the scores level at half-time, but her finest saves were still to follow after the break.

In the second half, after a brief spell of Arsenal endeavour which saw Earps do well to dive low to her left to divert a Caitlin Foord strike wide, what followed was a sustained spell of London City possession, territory and chances. Eder Maestre’s team spent a good part of 20 minutes firmly camped in Arsenal’s half and they carved open a good chance for Kadidiatou Diani but her relatively tame, low, near-post effort was saved by Rodríguez.

Diani’s 62nd-minute replacement from the substitutes’ bench, Delphine Cascarino, drew gasps from the crowd as she unleashed a dipping strike that bounced off the top of the crossbar. It was a lucky escape for Arsenal, who were seeing an alarming lack of the ball.

Arsenal, who had won all seven of their previous meetings with London City across all competitions, were then denied by two more fine Earps stops, firstly from a Maanum close-range effort and then from Maanum’s hgh curler, which had looked destined for the top corner before Earps touched it on to the bar.

Slegers’s 50th WSL match in charge of the north London side almost ended in defeat late on but Alexia Putellas’s rising, stoppage-time strike flew narrowly over the bar.