Match ends, Arsenal Women 3, Leicester City Women 0.
Arsenal WomenArsenal Women3Leicester City WomenLeicester City Women0
Arsenal secured the Women's Super League's third and final Champions League place with a comfortable home win over Leicester.
In front of 42,820 fans at Emirates Stadium, Jonas Eidevall's side kept up the pressure on Chelsea and Manchester City at the top thanks to goals from Lionesses Beth Mead, who scored twice, and Alessia Russo.
Arsenal are six points behind leaders City with nine points to play for - and face Gareth Taylor's side in their penultimate match on 5 May.
Mead opened the scoring with a crisp finish, collecting a pass from Caitlin Foord and clipping past Leicester goalkeeper Lize Kop.
England team-mate Russo started the game in a number 10 role behind Stina Blackstenius but added the second after moving up front, smashing in low and hard after good play from Steph Catley.
And Mead made it three just four minutes later, chipping in from three yards after Kop had denied Russo with an excellent save.
Manuela Zinsberger had to make two fine saves to keep out Leicester, with Sam Tierney going closest for the visitors, but Arsenal dominated the second half for an eighth win in nine games.
Arsenal were out of the Champions League in the first qualifying stage this season as they fell to a shock defeat by Paris FC but the 2007 winners will hope to fare much better next year.
On a day that brought a straightforward victory, the biggest cheer was saved for the second-half return of Frida Maanum, playing for the first time since her collapse during the Continental Cup final win over Chelsea on 31 March.
Tests found "no obvious cardiac causes" for the midfielder, who has been fitted with a device to monitor her heart, and she played 24 minutes.
WSL record goalscorer Vivianne Miedema also made a late return for Arsenal from her latest knee injury.
Leicester have now lost all 11 of their away WSL games in London - failing to score in 10 of them - but interim manager Jennifer Foster will be pleased with the way her side stuck in the game for 75 minutes.
Despite just four wins all season the Foxes are safe but have plenty of work to do to compete with the best in the top flight.
Line-ups
Arsenal Women
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Zinsberger
- 2FoxSubstituted forWienroitherat 90+4'minutes
- 6Williamson
- 7Catley
- 15McCabeSubstituted forCodinaat 90+4'minutes
- 9Mead
- 21PelovaBooked at 30mins
- 10LittleBooked at 50mins
- 19FoordSubstituted forLacasseat 82'minutes
- 23RussoSubstituted forMiedemaat 82'minutes
- 25BlacksteniusSubstituted forMaanumat 66'minutes
Substitutes
- 11Miedema
- 12Maanum
- 14D'Angelo
- 24Lacasse
- 26Wienroither
- 27Codina
- 29Goldie
- 40Williams
- 62Reid
Leicester City Women
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 23Kop
- 4BottSubstituted forAleat 82'minutes
- 17Thibaud
- 5Howard
- 11Cayman
- 15TakaradaSubstituted forPelganderat 90+4'minutes
- 7RoseSubstituted forO'Brienat 81'minutes
- 3Tierney
- 29Momiki
- 8Rantala
- 9PetermannSubstituted forWhelanat 82'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Leitzig
- 6Palmer
- 10Whelan
- 12Ale
- 14Green
- 18Pelgander
- 19Siemsen
- 27O'Brien
- 32Baker
- Referee:
- Adewunmi Soneye
- Attendance:
- 42,820
Match Stats
Home TeamArsenal WomenAway TeamLeicester City Women
- Possession
- Home61%
- Away39%
- Shots
- Home24
- Away6
- Shots on Target
- Home10
- Away3
- Corners
- Home11
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home7
- Away12
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Arsenal Women 3, Leicester City Women 0.
Post update
Offside, Arsenal Women. Frida Maanum is caught offside.
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Corner, Arsenal Women. Conceded by Sam Tierney.
Substitution
Substitution, Arsenal Women. Laia Codina replaces Katie McCabe.
Substitution
Substitution, Arsenal Women. Laura Wienroither replaces Emily Fox.
Substitution
Substitution, Leicester City Women. Emilia Pelgander replaces Saori Takarada.
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Katie McCabe (Arsenal Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Saori Takarada (Leicester City Women).
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Attempt saved. Shannon O'Brien (Leicester City Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Aileen Whelan.
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Attempt missed. Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal Women) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left following a corner.
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Corner, Arsenal Women. Conceded by Asmita Ale.
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Attempt missed. Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal Women) header from very close range misses to the left. Assisted by Beth Mead.
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Attempt blocked. Beth Mead (Arsenal Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Cloé Lacasse with a cross.
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Offside, Arsenal Women. Cloé Lacasse is caught offside.
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Attempt blocked. Frida Maanum (Arsenal Women) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Leah Williamson.
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Corner, Arsenal Women. Conceded by Sophie Howard.
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Attempt saved. Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal Women) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Leah Williamson with a cross.
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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Delay in match (Arsenal Women).