Miedema scores on her return: Five things we learned from Arsenal 2-2 Man City | OneFootball

A thrilling match ended in last year’s WSL runners up and third-placed teams sharing the points at the Emirates on the opening weekend of the new season.

Beth Mead’s 81st minute equaliser secured the point for Arsenal, but there was plenty to admire today from two teams on a mission to topple Chelsea.

Frida Maanum put the home side ahead within eight minutes, before Vivianne Miedema’s deflected shot made it 1-1 at half-time.

Both teams came out firing in the second half, but it was Jess Park’s long-range effort that put the visitors ahead before Mead was able to volley in a late equaliser.

Here’s five things we learned from the match…

What a match!

An end-to-end match saw both teams have plenty of opportunities and show exactly what they can do going forward, with the momentum ebbing and flowing throughout.

The quality of the goals was brilliant, in particular Maanum’s finish for the first goal and Park’s strike from a Lauren Hemp cross, which went in off the underside of the crossbar.

It was the perfect match to give us a glimpse into what this year’s title race might look like – there is no reason why either of these teams cannot take Chelsea on successfully this year.

Electric Emirates

Arsenal announced in May that the Emirates would be the main home of Arsenal Women for the 2024/25 WSL season.

Today’s match proved that to be the correct decision, with a 41,818 strong crowd making so much noise throughout, especially when Mead’s equaliser found the net.

The atmosphere was electric, and with at least 10 more matches to be played here this season, it is an exciting place to be for Arsenal Women.

Miedema returns to Arsenal

The biggest transfer news of the summer was Miedema’s move from Arsenal to Man City, after the Gunners chose not to renew her contract.

But Arsenal’s loss was Man City’s gain, and as the WSL’s all-time top goalscorer started at the Emirates in a sky blue shirt, there was an inevitability that she would make her mark.

Despite not seeing much of the ball, she showed her former side what they said goodbye to as she scored in the 42nd minute.

Stealing the ball off her former teammate Lotte Wubben-Moy, her shot on goal took a huge deflection off Laia Codina’s back, wrongfooting the keeper and finding the net.

After seven years at Arsenal, she didn’t celebrate her goal and she was also applauded off by fans in red at the Emirates when she was subbed off in the second half.

Mead delivers again

As she has done so often over the years in an Arsenal shirt, it was Mead who made sure Arsenal didn’t leave empty-handed.

She was subbed on in the second half to huge applause, and she made no mistake in poking it home for Arsenal after new signing Rosa Kafaji’s effort hit the near post and deflected into the path of the Lioness.

Bunny’s back

Not only was there a lot of excitement and anticipation for Miedema’s return to her former side, but Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw’s return to fitness would have delighted all Man City fans.

She played the full 90 minutes, and while last year’s golden boot winner wasn’t able to score today, her work rate off the ball was instrumental to City’s game.