WSL: Arsenal v Brighton key match-ups

Arsenal women

Arsenal women v Brighton women key match-ups

By Tom Masters

With Arsenal’s first Barclays Women’s Super League match of the season against Manchester City postponed due to the sad passing of Her Majesty the Queen, the match against Brighton and Hove Albion will be their first of the season. 

The Gunners have faced Brighton on ten occasions, winning nine and drawing the other, including a 2-1 win at Meadow Park in January last season and a 3-0 win at Broadfield Stadium last year. 

Arsenal went on to finish second by just a point on the final day of the season, with a 2-0 victory over West Ham not enough to overcome eventual champions Chelsea, who twice came from behind to win 4-2 and seal the title. 

Meanwhile Brighton finished the season in seventh, ending the season with a 1-1 draw with Everton. 

And ahead of the game, we look at the key match-ups between Arsenal women and Brighton and Hove Albion. 

Beth Mead v Poppy Pattinson 

Euro 2022 winner Mead has made a lot of defenders look silly already in her career, and against Brighton last season she ran them ragged, getting on the scoresheet in both of the Gunners’ wins against the Seagulls. 

Likely to be the next left back to step up and try and prevent Mead from getting involved on the scoresheet is Poppy Pattinson, who joined Hope Powell’s side as a free agent after seeing out the end of her two-year contract. 

Pattinson, 22, made 28 appearances for the Toffees, and represented England at U17, U19 and U21 level. 

She is certainly a top signing for Brighton and Powell, but whether she will be able to handle a player with the quality of Mead, who has bagged 34 goals in 98 appearances at Arsenal and an incredible 29 goals in 47 England caps, is a different question. 

Vivienne Miedema v Emma Kullberg and Victoria Williams 

Very few defenders can say they have stopped Dutch superstar Miedema, the WSL's top scorer of all time with 74 goals in just 89 Arsenal appearances, and an astonishing 95 goals in 115 Netherlands caps at the age of just 26. 

That is the task the Brighton defence face on Friday night, with Miedema’s goal-scoring record showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. 

The Seagulls’ central defensive duo of Emma Kullberg and captain Victoria Williams appear to be the two that will be challenged with trying to stop the Dutch forward this weekend. 

Swedish international Kullberg was present in the second match of last season which saw Arsenal run out 3-0 winners, but Miedema was not present for that match while Williams couldn't prevent Miedema scoring in the 2-1 defeat. 

If they are going to stop Miedema from adding to her growing collection of WSL goals, they are going to have to be at their very best, which makes it a key battle at Meadow Park. 

Leah Williamson v Danielle Carter 

England and Arsenal captain Leah Williamson is always going to be one of the first players that is highlighted in any game she plays after quickly rising one of the best central defenders in world football. 

At the age of just 25, Williamson has already played 124 times in the WSL for Arsenal, winning one league title, two FA Cups and two WSL Cups, before leading her nation to European Championship glory in the summer. 

Carter, 29, played for the Gunners for 11 years between 2009 and 2020, and will be hoping to cause Williamson and the rest of her defence problems. 

Six goals in four England caps show her ability, but Jonas Eidevall will be hoping that Williamson is more than up to stopping her former teammate and helping her side to a first win of the season. 

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