In a Women’s Super League game, Frida Maanum’s incredible long-range goal gave Arsenal the victory over Leicester City.
Norwegian midfielder Frida Maanum scored an incredible goal to help Arsenal defeat Leicester City and avenge their recent Champions League disappointment. Jonas Eidevall, the head coach of Arsenal, made a comment about the contrasting ambiances at Meadow Park and Emirates, comparing how he enjoyed them to savouring both fine dining and casual fare with a cold beer.
Arsenal could have struggled playing in front of a smaller Meadow Park audience of 3,982 just days after a Champions League match that drew a record-breaking 60,063 spectators. Despite Leicester custodian Janina Leitzig saving Katie McCabe’s first-half penalty, Eidevall emphasised his team’s numerous scoring opportunities.
Arsenal’s chances of making the Champions League appeared to be in jeopardy as the game approached the hour mark without a score. However, Maanum’s goal gave the team and fans new life. Later attempts by Maanum were stopped by Leicester’s custodian Leitzig, ending her chance to score a hat-trick of long-range goals.
The custodian for Leicester was hailed by manager Willie Kirk as the “best keeper in the WSL” and the “best signing of the January window.” He also considered his team’s development, saying that even though they didn’t win any games, they gained respect and pride. Leicester had previously lost three WSL games to Arsenal by a score of four goals or more.
After losing in the Champions League, Arsenal proved their tenacity with their victory. The team will try to build on this success as they continue their WSL campaign thanks to Frida Maanum’s pivotal goal, which helped secure victory.
