We booked our place in the fifth round of the Adobe Women's FA Cup with a 5-0 drumming of Bristol City at Meadow Park.
The five-star performance on Wednesday evening featured goals from Stina Blackstenius, Frida Maanum and Beth Mead, ahead of a tough test in the league against Manchester City.
WHAT HAPPENED
After a postponement of almost three weeks, our Adobe Women’s FA Cup journey finally began on Wednesday night as we hosted Championship side, Bristol City.
Renée Slegers made seven changes to the side that suffered a late loss to Chelsea at the weekend, with Lotte Wubben-Moy stepping up as captain. Laia Codina, Katie Reid and Steph Catley completed the back four, with Frida Maanum, Rosa Kafaji and Stina Blackstenius
We made a dream start to proceedings after possession broke to Frida Maanum in the centre of the field. Our Norwegian found Beth Mead bursting down the wing, who then fizzed the ball goalward. Stina Blackstenius was on hand to tap home to make it 1-0 to The Arsenal.
We doubled our advantage from a set piece mere minutes later. Kyra Cooney-Cross let fly from long range and Jackie Burns fumbled the save, with Frida Maanum there to make sure it crossed the line.
Firmly in the driver's seat, our Gunners built one attacking play after the next as we tore the visitors apart. A neat piece of skill from Blackstenius at the edge of the area allowed the Swede to shrug off her Bristol marker and curl the ball past Burns' outstretched glove.
18-year-old Katie Reid looked bright in her role on the right, showing an impressive recovery pace alongside vision and composure on the ball.
Despite the three-goal cushion, we showed zero sign of slowing down the relentless pace and before the half-hour mark, three goals became four. Mariona Caldentey played a sumptuous cross into the box and Mead rose to meet it, heading home perfectly.
This easy dominance continued into the second half and it wasn't long before we added another to our goal tally with the pick of the bunch. Mead gathered possession on the right wing and struck a powerful shot, disguised as a cross, into the roof of the net.
Slegers made a number of changes in the second half, moving Codina into midfield as a rare sight. But the most notable change came ten minutes from time. After giving birth in September, Amanda Ilestedt made her return to the field after almost a year away, slotting into centre-back alongside Leah Williamson.
WHAT'S NEXT
We already know our opponents in the next round of the Adobe Women's FA Cup as we host London City Lionesses at Meadow Park on February 9. Ticket information will be released shortly.
Before then, our Gunners face a massive test in the Barclays Women's Super League with an away fixture against Manchester City.
team news
Arsenal Starting XI: Zinsberger, Reid, Wubben-Moy (C) (Ilestedt, 79), Codina, Catley (Fox, 46), Cooney-Cross (Codina, 46), Mariona (Walti, 60), Maanum, Mead (Russo, 79), Kafaji, Blackstenius
Subs: van Domselaar, Wienroither, Peacock
Bristol City Starting XI: Burns, Powell (Teisar, 61), Mustaki, Struck, Rodgers, Lloyd-Smith (O'Leary, 61), Napier (C), Bance, Syme, Morgan (Thestrup, 61), Bennett
Subs: Bentley, Simpson, Woolley
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