Engines Running

November 2, 2025

King Power Stadium, Leicester City

Arsenal begin a gruelling stretch of five matches in three weeks—Chelsea next, then Bayern, followed by the North London Derby and Real Madrid. 

From the international break, the mood in the camp was mixed. Katie McCabe returned buoyed by her hundredth cap and goal for Ireland, but Olivia Smith and Frida Maanum were ruled out through injury, and Kyra Cooney-Cross remained sidelined with illness.

The players walked out to the sound of a lone trumpet and the hush of remembrance, each, except McCabe, bearing a poppy on their chest. 

Thirteen seconds in, Steph Catley launched a perfect diagonal to Stina Blackstenius, whose run split the defence before being halted by Sari Kees at the edge of the box. Arsenal pressed relentlessly—two corners and two shots inside the first two minutes.

The breakthrough came in the sixth. Beth Mead’s cross, a deft touch from Blackstenius, and Alessia Russo’s clean strike into the bottom corner—her third of the campaign. The pattern was set. Blackstenius chased every ball, her relentlessness matched by Swaby’s strength. On the right flank, Mead and Taylor Hinds combined pace and precision, while McCabe dictated tempo through sheer will. Russo roamed freely—dropping deep, turning, driving.

Midway through the half, McCabe’s cross nearly found Blackstenius six yards out. Leicester, statistically the league’s most besieged defence, were again under siege. On 32 minutes, Arsenal doubled their lead. Hinds took a quick, audacious free-kick over the top; Russo’s cross deflected cruelly off Kees and rolled in. Moments later, Mead found Blackstenius, who rifled a powerful shot into the near post—her drought ended, confidence reborn. Mead’s two assists brought her tally to five for the season and confirmed her as the first player in league history to reach fifty WSL assists—Arsenal’s all-time provider. McCabe nearly added a fourth before the break, her strike sailing just over.

Arsenal began the second half as they had finished the first. Within minutes, Mariona teed up Foord, whose rising effort brushed the crossbar. Leicester countered quickly, Mouchon through on goal, only to be denied by Van Domselaar’s strong save. Six minutes from time, Mouchon slipped past Codina and finished calmly into the corner. But Arsenal’s response was immediate—Chloe Kelly’s through ball released Blackstenius, who powered home her second. 4–1.

Quality, intent, and tempo created a statement.

Leicester 1 – 4 Arsenal

(A. Russo ‘7, S. Kees OG ‘32, S. Blackstenius ‘36, ‘84, N. Mouchon ‘83)