Arsenal 5 – 1 Charlton
The Addicks lost on their penultimate pre-season game at Meadow Park to a strong Arsenal team.
The Gunners dominated the ball for the first 20 minutes, playing quick passes and suffocating Charlton with a high press.
Despite the pressure, Charlton defended comfortably at the start, reducing the Gunners to one speculative shot from Georgia Stanway and a tame, scuffed effort from Lisa Baum that Sophie Whitehouse collected easily.
Despite all the Arsenal pressure, Charlton took the lead in the 24th minute, jumping on a mistake.
Gloria Siber was tackled when receiving a throw-in and the ball rolled into the box. Miscommunication from the Gunners meant the ball was left idle, and Emily van Egmond capitalised. She ran onto the free ball and squared it for Lucy Fitzgerald to dispatch confidently into the side of the net.
The goal did little to change the flow of the game. Arsenal were right back onto the attack and continuously applied the squeeze.
A good move down Arsenal’s right saw Baum free in the box again. She slammed her shot directly at Whitehouse, who pushed the ball to the edge of the box. Stanway ran onto that rebound but failed to hit the target.
Stanway would not be denied much longer, though, as she restored parity after 34 minutes. Baum played a cutting ball that found Stanway bursting into the box. The angle looked tight, but she managed to wrap her foot around the ball and get it under an onrushing Whitehouse.
It would only stay at 1-1 for another 10 minutes as Arsenal were awarded a late penalty for a push in the box by Paula Partido on Stanway. Whilst it seemed soft, the referee had no doubt, pointing to the spot immediately.
Mariona Caldentey stepped up and calmly put the ball to Whitehouse’s right as she dived left, bringing the first half to an end at 2-1.
The second half saw seven changes for Arsenal and three for Charlton, with the Addicks introducing Lead Davidson, Grace Johnston and Lorena Azzaro for Van Egmond, Siber and Jodie Hutton.
Even with all the changes, the flow of the game stayed the same. Arsenal dominated the ball, looking for that incisive ball, whilst the Addicks looked to hit on the break and capitalise on mistakes.
Arsenal finally started to make their superiority representative on the scoresheet with a 57th-minute wonderstrike from Kyra Cooney-Cross, making it 3-1.
The game continued to be played fully in the Charlton half, with no out ball on offer. The team kept battling valiantly, putting everything on the line even in pre-season.
Whitehouse made a couple of great saves from Emily Fox and Smilla Holmberg to keep the score as it was, but could do nothing about the eventual fourth. Caitlin Foord weaved into the box and played the ball to Selina Cerci. Her shot deflected out for Olivia Smith to leather the ball into the back of the net.
The match finished with a bit more gloss on the scoresheet for Arsenal as Frida Maanum made it 5-1 with a curled finish.
A tough result in the end for the Addicks but a great test against one of the best teams in the world, let alone the country.
The Addicks are back in action on Sunday against Wolves at The Valley. Tickets can be purchased here.
Arsenal: Rodriguez (Borbe 45); Holmberg, Williamson (Wubben-Moy 45), Catley (Cooney-Cross 45), Batlle (Fox 45); Stanway (Reuteler 45), Little (Hinds 45), Caldentey (Foord 45); Russo (Smith 60), Baum (Maanum 60), Blackstenius (Cerci 74)
Subs (not used): Damm, Conway, Teer-Hutchins
Goals: Stanway 34, Caldentey 45 (Pen), Cooney-Cross 57, Smith 89
Assist: Baum 34
Booked:
Charlton: Whitehouse; Mason (Waldie 65), N’Dow (Lobato 65), Skeels; Fitzgerald, Flannery, Van Egmond (Johnston 45), Neville; Partido (Humphrey 80), Hutton (Davidson 45), Siber (Azzaro 45)
Subs (not used): Koivunen, Pedersen
Goal: Fitzgerald 24
Assist: Van Egmond 24
Booked:
Referee: Sophie Dennington
Attendance: 2283