Mackenzie Arnold was undoubtedly the star of the show during West Ham’s surprise 0-0 draw against Arsenal at the weekend.
The North London title contenders were held to a stalemate away from home, unable to get any of their shots past the Aussie goalkeeper in the opposition net
Starting XIs
West Ham
Arnold; Smith, Shimizu, Stringer (Parker ’86), Snerle (Longhurst ’87), Brynjarsdottir (c), Filis (Thestrup ’63), Hayashi, Fisk, Cissoko, Asseyi (Evans ’78)
Arsenal
Zinsberger, Rafaelle, Wubben-Moy, Williamson, Catley (McCabe ’68), Little (c), Maanum, Maritz (Wienroither ’68), Hurting (Pelova ’68), Foord, Blackstenius (Queiroz ’78)
How it went for West Ham and Arsenal
Embed from Getty ImagesWith the opening ten minutes of the tie almost perfectly balanced, it was almost impossible to predict how the match would play out.
West Ham’s tight defence and quick counter-attacks saw the hosts handle several strong attacks from the Gunners. As the tie progressed, the hosts piled increasing pressure on their opponents.
Despite Arnold repeatedly being called into action, the Australian goalkeeper and her defence were resolute. With the match goalless at half time, Paul Konchesky would no doubt have been the happier of the two managers.
By the 85th minute, Arsenal had enjoyed more than two thirds of the possession. Similarly, the Gunners had managed 19 shots compared to just two for the Hammers.
Embed from Getty ImagesWith his side failing to find the back of the hosts’ net after eight shots on target, Eidevall may well have been wondering what his players would need to do to break down a solid defence.
Ultimately the tie finished goalless, with West Ham pulling off a defensive and goalkeeping masterclass.
Arnold’s eight saves in comparison to Manuela Zinsberger’s one was a testament to the strength of the performance of the Hammer’s No.1.
What’s next for West Ham and Arsenal?
West Ham will next face Chelsea in the League Cup. The tie will see the Hammers host last season’s runners up on Thursday with kick off at 19:15 GMT.
Meanwhile, Arsenal will welcome Manchester City in the first of two clashes between the teams in just four days.
