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Player ratings as Hammers frustrate Gunners
From the Chigwell Construction Stadium: Arsenal lost pace with WSL leaders Chelsea after being held to a 0-0 draw by a resilient West Ham on Sunday evening.
The Gunners saw a selection of opportunities go begging and spent much of the second period camped in the Hammers half, but were left frustrated by a heroic West Ham defensive effort.
The result leaves Arsenal five points behind Chelsea, but Jonas Eidevall’s side have a game in hand over the WSL champions.
Despite the absence of goals, it was an entertaining, end to end first half affair. Frida Maanum and Caitlin Foord were in the thick of the action down the Arsenal right and caused problems with their directness and driving runs. The former created one of her side’s most promising openings of the first half, surging to the byling and finding Lina Hurtig, but the Sweden international could only drag her effort wide.
West Ham caused problems of their own, Kirsty Smith getting a rare bit of respite from the dangerous Foord-Maanum double act as she scurried away down the left and was picked out by a superb Honoka Hayashi pass. Manuela Zinsberger was out quickly to deny the left back.
The Hammers were unfortunate to not be awared a penalty after Dagny Brynjarsdottir appeared to be tripped by Rafaelle in the box, but the host’s protests were waved away
Hurtig did well to twice get the better of Risa Shimizu before picking out compatriot Stina Blackstenius, but the forward blazed over, while Mackenzie Arnold superbly tipped a Maanum effort around the post, after the midfielder had been found by an audacious Leah Williamson pass as the first half finished all square.
The Gunners pushed for an opener after the break as West Ham were forced deeper and deeper into their own half, Maanum again causing chaos with her strength and directness, but her cross was tipped away by Arnold.
The Hammers’ keeper was again called into action just after the hour mark, keeping out Blackstenius with her feet.
It was a heroic defensive effort from West Ham, with Brynjarsdottir, Arnold and Hawa Cissoko all intervening to keep out Katie McCabe and then Blackstenius as wave after wave of Arsenal attack was thwarted.
Foord saw penalty appeals waved away and McCabe’s strike from range was deflected into the side netting, as it simply wasn’t to be for the Gunners.
GK: Mackenzie Arnold – 8/10 – Out quickly to deny Maanum in the early exchanges, and made a terrific save to tip the Arsenal midfielder’s low effort around the post in the first half. Kept out Blackstenius with her feet in the second and tipped a Williamson effort around the post. A huge display.
RB: Risa Shimizu – 7/10 – Beaten by Hurtig in the build up to a promising Arsenal chance. Made an important intervention to prevent Maaunum surging through in the second half.
CB: Hawa Cissoko – 9/10 – Triggered a counter attack with a stunning cross field pass to Snerle and popped up with numerous important challenges and blocks – including a big one in the first half to deny a goal-bound Foord effort. A heroic defensive effort to stem wave after wave of Arsenal attack.
CB: Grace Fisk – 8/10 – Made a selection of important tackles, clearances and headers deep in her own half to keep Arsenal at bay.
LB: Kirsty Smith – 6/10 – Had a busy time of it attempting to deal with both Maanum and Foord down the Arsenal right. Had a real moment of promise on the counter attack in the first half with a burst forward. Made an important second half block to keep out the Gunners.
CM: Abbey-Leigh Stringer – 8/10 – Broke up play well and swept up magnificently on the edge of her own box time after time in the second half.
CM: Honoka Hayashi – 6/10 – Sent Smith away with a superb pass for one of West Ham’s most promising first half openings. Tenacious and disciplined.
CM: Dagny Brynjarsdottir – 7/10 – Unfortunate to not be awarded a penalty after appearing to be tripped by Rafaelle. Made a huge interception to keep out McCabe in the second half.
RW: Mel Filis – 6/10 – The Arsenal academy graduate frequently switched flanks with Snerle and was full of running and endeavour. Replaced after an hour following a big shift.
ST: Viviane Asseyi – 6/10 – Had an effort from the edge of the box comfortably held in the first half, and was the focal point for the West Ham press. Quieter in the second half as West Ham struggled to get out of their own half.
LW: Emma Snerle – 6/10 – Had a positive driving run to tee up an Asseyi chance in the first half. Made an important intervention in the West Ham box in the second half to halt a promising Gunners move. Technically strong and looked a threat when on the ball high up – quieter in the second as the Hammers sat deeper.
SUB: Amalie Thestrup (63′ for Filis) – 5/10
SUB: Lisa Evans (77′ for Asseyi) – 6/10
SUB: Lucy Parker (86′ for Stringer) – 6/10
SUB: Kate Longhurst (86′ for Snerle) – 6/10
GK: Manuela Zinsberger – 6/10 – Held an Asseyi effort and claimed a dangerous Snerle cross in the first half. Hardly had a touch in the second.
RB: Noelle Maritz – 6/10 – Fairly solid defensively, drifted into defensive midfield at times while Arsenal were in possession. Replaced just after the hour.
CB: Lotte Wubben-Moy – 7/10 – Played out from the back well, getting Arsenal forward with a series of probing passes. Solid defensively.
CB: Rafaelle – 7/10 – Created a first half chance for Arsenal with a maraud forward from centre back. Perhaps fortunate to not concede a penalty in the first half. Otherwise solid.
LB: Steph Catley – 6/10 – Didn’t get forward as frequently as usual. Tidy in possession, solid defensively, replaced just after the hour mark.
CM: Leah Williamson – 7/10 – Deployed in midfield in the absence of Lia Walti. Sent Maanum through on goal with a fabulous dinked pass in the first half. Broke the lines
CM: Kim Little – 6/10 – Neat and intricate on the ball.
CM: Frida Maanum – 7/10 – Forced Arnold into a superb save with a low first half effort and teed up Hurtig following a burst to the byline. Was at the heart of so many promising Arsenal moves with her drive and athleticism.
RW: Caitlin Foord – 7/10 – Deployed on the right as opposed to the left, was in the thick of the action with her bursts forward and looked one of Arsenal’s most dangerous players.
ST: Stina Blackstenius – 5/10 – Blazed over in the first half with a really decent sighting of goal, and was twice denied in the second half by Arnold.
LW: Lina Hurtig – 5/10 – Dragged an effort wide in the first half, before creating a good chance for Blackstenius after doing well to twice beat Shimizu. Replaced after an hour after struggling to leave an attacking impact on proceedings.
SUB: Katie McCabe (68′ for Catley) – 6/10
SUB: Victoria Pelova (68′ for Hurtig) – 6/10
SUB: Laura Wienroither (68′ for Maritz) – 6/10
SUB: Gio Queiroz (78′ for Blackstenius) – 6/10
Barcelona are said to be ‘confident’ that they will avoid a ban from the UEFA Champions League amid their ongoing corruption case.
Barça have been charged with ‘continuous sporting corruption’ by Spanish courts, with it alleged that they made several payments to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira – the former vice-president of Spain’s refereeing committee – over information and analysis of match officials which could benefit them.
It had previously been speculated that any wrongdoing could result in Barcelona being barred from entering the Champions League, with UEFA confirming on Thursday they are launching their own investigation into the scandal.
UEFA’s statement read: “In accordance with Article 31(4) of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations, UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors have today been appointed to conduct an investigation regarding a potential violation of UEFA’s legal framework by FC Barcelona in connection with the so-called ‘Caso Negreira’.”
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However, the Daily Mail report that Barcelona are ‘confident’ that UEFA will not hit them with a ban or financial penalty.
La Blaugrana maintain their innocence in the scandal and believe that any punishment from UEFA could be legally reversed or challenged if they are found not guilty by Spanish courts.
Barcelona are already in financial trouble having failed to reap the lucrative rewards of reaching the Champions League knockout stages for two seasons running.
Part of the charges against Barcelona claim that they paid Negreira and his company in order to receive preferential treatment from referees.
“Through presidents [Sandro] Rosell and [Josep Maria] Bartomeu, Barcelona reached and maintained a strictly confidential verbal agreement with the defendant Negreira, so that, in his capacity as vice-president of the refereeing committee and in exchange for money, he would carry out actions aimed at favouring Barcelona in the decision making of the referees in the matches played by the club, and thus in the results of the competitions,” Spanish prosecutors said.
This key detail hints at match-fixing, which is punishable by UEFA with a ban from European competition.
La Liga have already ruled out sporting sanctions against Barcelona as these charges are historic, but president Javier Tebas has claimed he will revisit the case if the club are found guilty.
Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has submitted an improved bid to buy Manchester United from the Glazer family.
Bidders were granted an extension to the previous deadline of Wednesday this week in order to lodge improved offers to purchase the club.
A rival bid from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS was confirmed in recent days, with Sheikh Jassim’s representatives now confirming that they too have upped their offer.
Reports claim United had expected to receive Sheikh Jassim’s latest bid by Friday night, though ‘finer details’ had to be sorted and it was submitted in the early hours of Saturday morning instead.
Raine Group, who are handling the sale, have also received a number of offers for a minority stake in United, with one notably coming from Elliott Investment Management – the former owners of AC Milan.
Meanwhile, Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus, who claims to have submitted a speculative offer earlier this week, called on Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim to join his bid on Saturday in order to act in the best interests of the club.
The Glazers are looking to sell United before the summer transfer window, though 90min has consistently reported that they will back away from deals if their £6bn valuation is not met.
Recent bidders are likely to hear back from Raine Group in a week.
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Alexis Sanchez has spoken at length about how he would have won the UEFA Champions League with Manchester City if he had joined them instead of Manchester United in 2018.
The Chilean arrived in England in 2014 from Barcelona, joining Arsenal off the back of a stellar FIFA World Cup campaign.
Sanchez cemented his place as one of the Premier League’s finest players during his first three seasons with the Gunners, but sought to leave in the summer of 2017 with one year left on his contract.
He was continually linked with a reunion with ex-Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola at Man City. A deal looked to be in the works late in the window, but Arsenal’s moves to replace him collapsed and the transfer fell apart – Raheem Sterling and Thomas Lemar were heavily linked with switches to the Emirates Stadium.
When the January window rolled around, Man City were again hopeful of signing Sanchez, but they were beaten to a deal by Man Utd.
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In an interview with TVN, Chile’s public broadcaster, Sanchez discussed this transfer saga.
“I was about to go to City. I spoke to Guardiola every day, he told me happy birthday. He was like my dad, He was my dad at Barcelona and he was like my dad at City,” Sanchez began.
“We talked, we talked every day, he sent me messages. And everything was ready, there was a player who was going to go to Arsenal. Then [Arsene] Wenger tells me you are not leaving because the other player did not want to come and they do not have another.
“Suddenly, the cell phone rings. [Jose] Mourinho tells me: ‘Alexis, here is the [number] seven available for you’.
“It wasn’t a money thing, so everyone knows. It was the same with United and City. And he said to me ‘here is the seven, we are playing in the Champions League and we are going to give everything’. I wanted to leave at that moment, but I had Guardiola’s word.
“That’s when I said to myself, a Chilean footballer playing for Manchester United, something that has never happened. With the seven of [Eric] Cantona, [David] Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and now a Chilean had it, it was a dream.
“I don’t regret going to United, things happen for a reason. I would have liked to have gone to City, yes. We would have won the Champions League by now. In the final I would have done something.”
There were huge expectations for Sanchez at Man Utd, particularly after he was so prolific in Arsenal teams which underwhelmed for the most part.
Mourinho’s side needed a fresh injection of energy to reignite a flailing 2017/18 season, but were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League at the last 16 stage by Sevilla and lost the FA Cup final to a Chelsea team that finished three places behind Man Utd in the Premier League table.
Sanchez would score just five goals in 45 games for Man Utd before joining Inter, helping them win Serie A in 2021.
He now plays for Marseille in Ligue 1.
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On this edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders, Graeme Bailey & Toby Cudworth discuss the race to sign Jude Bellingham, Antonio Conte’s Tottenham future, Roy Hodgson’s return to Crystal Palace, Erling Haaland’s contract, Mason Mount & more!
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Barcelona’s stance on potential UEFA Champions League ban
Sheikh Jassim submits improved bid
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