Alessia Russo scored twice on the final day of the WSL season as Arsenal secured a second-place finish with a 3-1 win over Liverpool.
Although the Gunners were unable to win the title race until the final day, they finished second to Manchester City and were on course to earn automatic qualification to the Women’s Champions League.
And had it not been for Jennifer Faulk’s first-half goalkeeping effort, the Gunners might have come close with big numbers.
It took 21 minutes for Russo’s first goal of the game to break the Liverpool stopper. She looked up, looked for Stina Blackstenias, and swung the ball in. But even as her teammates stood up, the ball skimmed over her head and through Faulk’s legs.
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In the last WSL game of the season, Arsenal faced Liverpool and took a first-half lead with a shot from Alessia Russo’s cross.
The visitors added another goal just after the half-hour mark, after increasing Arsenal’s pressure. A great short corner routine by Mariona Caldenti and Katie McCabe, making her final appearance for the Gunners, saw the former score from an angle.
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Mariona Caldenti’s deft corner routine gave Arsenal a 2-0 lead against Liverpool.
Russo added a third shortly after, leaving Arsenal in danger of running away. Viktoria Perova made her own bow as a gunner and sent an inviting ball into the area from the right side. Russo found his teammate on the other side of the area and scored his 12th league goal of the season.
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Arsenal led 3-0 against Liverpool within 37 minutes, with Alessia Russo scoring her second goal of the game.
Liverpool did a good job of limiting Arsenal’s chances after the break, although Faulk didn’t do much. They even gave teenager Zara Shaw a lifeline as she scrambled home from the Reds’ first corner in front of The Kop.
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Zara Shaw scored in front of the Kop as Liverpool pulled one back against Arsenal.
However, the second half was mainly dedicated to bidding farewell to departing players from both teams, including McCabe, Beth Mead, Gemma Bonner and Gemma Evans, all of whom were offered the chance to say farewell to their respective fans.
Arsenal finished in second place, four points behind Man City, while Liverpool, despite a poor start to the season, finished in 11th place, eight points behind bottom-placed Leicester.
McCabe: ‘I’ll be sad to be part of Arsenal’
Arsenal’s Katie McCabe told Sky Sports: “It was an honor to captain the team at the end. We just enjoyed every second. The discussion as a team was to enjoy it and play like Arsenal.”
“I was able to do that today, I played with a smile on my face, and I’m glad that we were able to finish with a win for our team.
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Katie McCabe and Beth Meade bid an emotional farewell to fans after their final game for Arsenal.
“When I was leading the girls it was like watching Ireland play! It’s been amazing, the fans have been incredible over the 10 years I’ve been here. We’ve built this club together, we’ve had success together and I’m going to miss being a part of it.”
