Arsenal's Vivianne Miedema demands solutions to frozen pitch controversy | OneFootball

Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema has demanded the introduction of undersoil heating to women’s football after a Women’s Super League match was played on a frozen pitch.

Yesterday’s encounter between Chelsea and Liverpool at Kingsmeadow was called off after less than six minutes of play due to icy conditions.

Even though the pitch had passed an inspection before kick-off, the players were left slipping and sliding as the game got underway.

After Chelsea star Erin Cuthbert took a particularly nasty fall, referee Neil Hair decided to call time on the match.

According to the FA and WSL, the referee had initially deemed the pitch unplayable after the first inspection, but changed his mind after a second inspection, following the use of a pitch cover and heaters.

The situation sparked anger from Chelsea manager Emma Hayes and Liverpool boss Matt Beard, while players took to social media to discuss the situation.

What did Vivianne Miedema say about the frozen pitch controversy?

Three WSL matches were postponed due to the freezing weather in total, with Tottenham’s match against Leicester and Arsenal’s fixture against Brighton also called off.

Miedema, who is currently recovering from an ACL injury, commented on the controversy on Twitter.

“Players’ safety should always come first,” Miedema wrote. “Luckily no one got injured today.

“Only way to fix this is to demand undersoil heating or playing our games in men’s stadiums. FA and clubs, please do better.”

Hayes also called for undersoil heating as she discussed the situation on the BBC.

“The game should never have started,” she said. “We have to say to ourselves that it’s time for undersoil heating.

“We’ve got to take our game seriously – yes, we can have our blowers and pitch tents, but it’s not enough.”

Liverpool player Katie Stengel later responded to Miedema’s post, pointing out that Stamford Bridge could have been used for the match. As the stadium has undersoil heating, it would have allowed the match to go ahead.

What happened during Chelsea’s match against Liverpool?

A montage posted by Twitter user @frankirbydaily showed the extent of the slipping from both Chelsea and Liverpool players at Kingsmeadow.

Chelsea defender Niamh Charles seemed to face the brunt of it, constantly slipping over as she went in for the challenge.

Cuthbert’s heavy fall was also caught on camera, with the Scottish star seeming in considerable pain after the incident.

Video: Watch Chelsea and Liverpool players slip while playing on frozen pitch