Russo Shines as Arsenal Thrash West Ham in WSL Clash
Arsenal made a big statement in the Women’s Super League as they powered past West Ham with a commanding 5-1 win, and the night belonged to Alessia Russo. The England forward scored twice, sealing a victory that looked far from certain when the game began.
It actually started on a rough note for Arsenal. West Ham were gifted an opener after a mistake by goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar, and suddenly the home crowd sensed an upset could be on the cards. For a good 65 minutes, West Ham’s pressing game really unsettled Arsenal. They were aggressive, forced turnovers, and made it difficult for the visitors to build momentum. Their manager Rehanne Skinner admitted afterward that she wanted her players to stay brave, and rather than settle for damage limitation, they kept trying to play on the front foot.
But class eventually told. Arsenal showed composure after the setback and gradually imposed themselves. Frida Maanum’s goal proved the turning point, restoring balance and belief. From there, the Gunners didn’t look back. Stina Blackstenius and Caitlin Foord both found the net, while Russo capped off the night with a sharp finish and a calmly converted penalty. She was dangerous throughout, her movement and presence constantly troubling West Ham’s defense.
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Arsenal boss Renee Slegers praised her players’ calmness and composure, explaining that a few tactical tweaks at half-time—mainly about breaking West Ham’s aggressive press and holding the ball longer in attack—helped shift the rhythm of the game. The adjustments worked, and the team’s patience was rewarded with wave after wave of clinical finishing.
Russo herself said it wasn’t the perfect start but admitted that away games at West Ham are never easy. She credited Maanum’s equalizer for changing the momentum and stressed how much strength Arsenal have across the squad, with talented players able to step in and make an impact from any position.
Meanwhile, over in Manchester, City also had to come from behind but edged Brighton 2-1 thanks to Bunny Shaw and Yui Hasegawa. Brighton started well, with Fran Kirby giving them the lead, but City’s quality in the second half proved decisive. Their coach Andree Jeglertz spoke about the patience his team showed, confident that by sticking to their plan, the breakthrough would come.
For Arsenal, it’s now two wins from two to open the season, with nine goals scored already. They look sharp, confident, and ruthless in attack. West Ham can take heart from their bright spells, but the gulf in finishing power was clear by the end.
This early in the campaign, nothing is won yet, but Arsenal’s performance sent a message: they are ready to challenge hard for the title again, and with Alessia Russo in this kind of form, they will be very difficult to stop.
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