Kelly scores as Arsenal beat West Ham in seven-goal thriller
Source:Â http://www.richportaltv.com
Chloe Kelly helped Arsenal come from behind to edge victory in a seven-goal thriller at home to West Ham as they continued their push for a European qualification spot.
Amber Tysiak scored twice—both goals coming from corners—by the time the clock had struck 12 minutes to give the Irons an unlikely early lead.
The first was a header before she bundled home as the hosts failed to clear a goalmouth scramble.
West Ham continued to frustrate Arsenal, but new signing Kelly sparked the Gunners a minute before the break when she turned home a Mariona Caldentey delivery to get her first goal for the club in her second spell.
Shekiera Martinez seemed to have dashed Arsenal’s hopes when she collected a Verena Hanshaw pass and fired past Daphne van Domselaar to make it 3-1 in the 51st minute.
But Arsenal responded superbly with two goals in as many minutes.
Katie McCabe powered an expert finish past Kinga Szemik from a tight angle in the 56th minute, and Leah Williamson nodded home from a corner to level.
Spain forward Caldentey then found the bottom corner from a 62nd-minute penalty after Hammers defender Kirsty Smith handled in her box.
Arsenal boss Renee Slegers said her side’s comeback showed “great strength and character.”.
She told Sky Sports: “I am very proud of the way that the girls kept calm and composed, found the solutions, and kept digging in. That is why we are standing here with a win.”
Arsenal pushed for further goals in an attempt to solidify their lead, and although none materialized, they managed to prevent the visitors from finding a way back.
“We scored three fantastic goals and caused a lot of problems. There are a lot of positives for us to take out of the game,” added West Ham manager Rehanne Skinner.
“We were not prepared to let anything go, fighting for everything and getting goals out of the game.”
The result leaves Slegers’ third-placed side with a two-point cushion over Manchester City but eight points off leaders Chelsea. West Ham are ninth with 14 points—eight clear of bottom club Crystal Palace.
Few would have expected an Arsenal side that thrashed Tottenham 5-0 in their previous WSL game to be 2-0 down after just 12 minutes.
But two poorly defended corners handed West Ham the lead and lit a spark, which gave the Irons a clear sense of belief.
Martinez tormented Williamson with her running up front, while Tysiak, Hanshaw, and Camila Saez tracked all of Arsenal’s long balls to perfection and closed down any attempts to break forward.
When the Gunners did manage to find a way through, keeper Szemik was attentive and produced some excellent stops to keep her side’s lead intact.
Kelly pulled one back, and Arsenal emerged from halftime with a point to prove. Substitute Stina Blackstenius had a goal disallowed for offside before Martinez gave the visitors a two-goal advantage once again.
What followed was a Gunners masterclass in determination and a newfound verve sparked by the desperation to avoid defeat.
Slegers noted that although Arsenal was in a position they had “not been put in before” since she took over, their success taught them how to handle “hard times.”
“When we had positive momentum, we were able to capitalize on it in the second half,” she added.
Three goals in six minutes delivered exactly what they required, leaving West Ham with no chance to recover between the repeated blows.
Going ahead changed the momentum entirely for Slegers’ side. Where they were previously laborious in attack, they were now fluid with energy and threat.
Losing will feel cruel for a West Ham side that battled valiantly, but Arsenal were just too strong when they eventually clicked, and Kelly’s strike will give the Manchester City loanee extra confidence after her return to the club where she started her career.