Villa score five past European finalists Arsenal as grant stars and Slegers’ side fall apart in bruising WSL loss.
Arsenal Women were handed a brutal reality check at Villa Park as Aston Villa Women dismantled them 5-2 in one of the most memorable matches of the Women’s Super League season.
Coming just days after their euphoric win over Lyon in the Women’s Champions League semi-finals, the Gunners looked physically spent and mentally switched off, undone by a rampant Villa side that capitalised on mistake after mistake.
Villa, already safe from relegation, played with a freedom and intensity Arsenal couldn’t match. Jordan Nobbs, once a stalwart in Arsenal’s midfield, was the one to kick things off in the 30th minute. After a fast break led by Ebony Salmon, Nobbs slotted home against her former club, setting the tone for what would become a stunning evening.
The lead was doubled just before the break. Kirsty Hanson, afforded too much space outside the box, curled a magnificent effort into the top corner from 25 yards — a moment of individual brilliance that left Arsenal reeling and Villa buoyant going into the interval.
The second half began in disastrous fashion for the visitors. Within 14 minutes, Villa had turned their 2-0 lead into a 4-0 thrashing. Chasity Grant, pouncing on a calamitous mix-up between Katie McCabe and goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger, calmly slotted home Villa’s third. Moments later, Rachel Daly toe-poked in from close range following a sweeping team move that started all the way from goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo — herself a former Gunner.
Arsenal briefly hinted at a revival. Stina Blackstenius struck with composure to make it 4-1 before Alessia Russo nodded in Katie Reid’s cross just three minutes later to halve the deficit to 4-2. Suddenly, there was hope for a dramatic comeback.
But that hope was short-lived. Villa responded immediately through Grant, who netted her second with a composed finish after a slick one-two opened up Arsenal’s defence once again. Her deft lift over Zinsberger sealed the result and underlined just how porous Arsenal’s back line had become.
With the win, Aston Villa extended their winning streak to three and added gloss to what has been a frustrating season. For Arsenal, though, the loss is a stinging blow. They now sit nine points behind title-holders Chelsea and only two ahead of Manchester United in second, with a crunch clash against United looming on the WSL’s final day.
Arsenal manager Renee Slegers admitted her side failed to meet the required standards.
“We knew this game would be a big challenge, coming off such a high on Sunday,” she said. “The short turnaround, the travel, the demands — it caught up with us. But credit to Villa, they were brave and exposed us. We didn’t reach our level today.”
She added, “We’ll take the learnings. How to recover, how to prepare — all of it. We want to be playing the biggest games, but we have to execute consistently.”
For Villa, it was a night of redemption. For Arsenal, a reminder that there’s no room for complacency — even with Champions League glory on the horizon
