Premier League

Player ratings as Gunners win historic WSL north London derby

Beth Mead, Katie McCabe

History was made at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday as a WSL record crowd of 47,367 watched Arsenal run out 4-0 winners of north London rivals Tottenham.

A curling Beth Mead effort, a Rafaelle header and a Vivianne Miedema brace ensured the local bragging rights remained firmly in the red half of north London and maintained the Gunners’ perfect start to the WSL season.

Arsenal burst out of the blocks and almost broke the deadlock in the opening exchanges as Mead – particularly prolific at the Emirates last season – saw an effort from close range deflect wide with her first sighting of goal.

But the Euro 2022 Golden Boot winner wasn’t to be denied for long, superbly bending home to give the Gunners the lead inside just five minutes.

Arsenal continued to dominate, Kim Little firing into the side netting, Caitlin Foord glancing a header narrowly wide and Ashleigh Neville, Molly Bartrip and Shelina Zadorsky popping up with a series of important blocks to keep the scoreline down to a single goal.

Spurs struggled to get out of their own half and could only draw one save out of Manuela Zinsberger during the opening 45, as Cilen Bizet saw a tame effort from range comfortably held.

Arsenal doubled their advantage on the stroke of half time as Foord dispossessed Evelina Summanen deep in the Spurs half and fed Miedema. The forward coolly slotted home to open her account for the 2022/23 campaign.

Rafaelle added a third for Arsenal 10 minutes into the second half, rising highest to power home Mead’s corner.

Miedema then doubled her tally for the afternoon just before the 70 minute mark as she rose completely unmarked and glanced Steph Catley’s in-swinging delivery into the back of the net to wrap up an emphatic Arsenal victory.

Beth Mead, Katie McCabe

Mead opened the scoring for Arsenal / Clive Rose/GettyImages

GK: Manuela Zinsberger – 6/10 – Comfortably held a Bizet effort in the first half, really composed with the ball at her feet when under pressure in her own box.

RB: Laura Wienroither – 8/10 – Fired audaciously over in the first half and tore forward whenever possible, forcing Naz to sit deep in her own half. Combined well with Mead to win the corner in the build up to Arsenal’s third.

CB: Leah Williamson – 7/10 – Superb in her distribution, producing a particularly eye catching pass to pick out McCabe in the first half.

CB: Rafaelle – 8/10 – Ice cool on the ball, even when Spurs attempted to press Arsenal high. Climbed highest to plant a header into the top corner in the second half for…

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