Arsenal’s Caitlin Foord scores ‘worldie’ to keep their ambitions of winning Women’s Super League alive

Caitlin Foord, a Matildas winger, has kept Arsenal’s chances of winning the FA Women’s Super League title alive, netting a critical brace against Tottenham on Thursday to keep the Gunners just one point behind leaders Chelsea going into the final day of the season.

Arsenal maintained their winning streak after thrashing Aston Villa 7-0 on Sunday, scoring in the fourth minute at the Emirates through in-form England forward Beth Mead.

Their North London opponents, on the other hand, were not easily shaken. Spurs were able to weather Arsenal’s attacking storm by employing a defensive and aggressive style of play, which included committing regular fouls to disrupt the home side’s flow. They even created a few chances of their own.

Minutes after Mead’s opener, fellow Matildas winger Kyah Simon almost equalised for Spurs, blasting a shot that Arsenal forward Vivianne Miedema had to clear off the line.

In the second half, the narrative was identical, with the Gunners controlling possession and attempting to break down Tottenham’s resolute defensive lines.

Arsenal had more than three times as many shots and four times as many on target as their opponents, out-possessing Spurs 62 percent to 38 percent.

While it appeared to be a successful strategy heading into the last 20 minutes, Arsenal’s attacking quality ultimately showed when Miedema’s shot was deflected right into the path of Foord, who scored at the back post to make it 2-0.

Foord scored Arsenal’s third goal less than 10 minutes later, stepping inside with a single touch and sending a rocket into the far corner for her second in front of 13,438 supporters, the Gunners’ largest home crowd this season.

When Angela Addison was shoved over in the area in stoppage time, she could have scored a consolation goal, but her penalty was saved by the post.

The Gunners have been on a roll towards the close of the 2021/22 season, having not dropped a point since a 0-0 draw with Chelsea in February.

They are only one point behind Sam Kerr’s team going into the last day of the season, but they have a huge goal difference (53 to 49).

To leapfrog the defending champions and retake the title, Arsenal must beat West Ham on Sunday and hope Manchester United defeat Chelsea at Kingsmeadow.

Alanna Kennedy of the Matildas scored in Manchester City’s 6-0 thrashing of Birmingham City, who were subsequently relegated from the WSL for the first time in their history.

City moves into third place, qualifying for the Champions League next season, although they are only two points clear of Manchester United coming into the final day.

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