Arsenal flip a derby classic with a furious second-half surge
Seven minutes changed everything. Arsenal trailed 3-1 to West Ham at Meadow Park and looked flat, then exploded with three goals in a burst that turned a London derby into a statement win. In a Women's Super League match that swung wildly, the hosts beat West Ham 4-3 thanks to a wave of pressure, sharp set pieces, and a calm penalty under heavy stress.
West Ham came to play and stunned the home crowd early. Amber Tysiak, a defender by trade, struck twice inside 12 minutes. First she met Viviane Asseyi’s corner with a powered header. Then she was quickest to react in a crowded box, poking in from close range. Arsenal were rocked, their back line slow to second balls and vulnerable on deliveries into the six-yard area.
The Gunners steadied before the break. Chloe Kelly, making her first appearance since returning to the club, slipped in at the back post and finished to make it 2-1. It wasn’t just an emotional moment; it changed the mood. Arsenal started to win their duels out wide, and the speed of their attacks finally matched the urgency of the situation.
Any sense of calm vanished right after halftime. Six minutes into the second half, Shekiera Martinez restored West Ham’s two-goal lead, finishing from close range after smart work by Verena Hanshaw down the left. At 3-1, West Ham had a cushion again and the home fans were restless.
What followed was ruthless. Katie McCabe kick-started the rally in the 56th minute with a strike squeezed in at the near post from a tight angle, catching goalkeeper Kinga Szemik off guard. Two minutes later, Leah Williamson attacked a corner and powered a header goalward. Szemik got a touch, the ball kissed the underside of the bar, but crossed the line. Meadow Park was roaring and West Ham were suddenly clinging on.
The decisive moment came in the 62nd minute. A cross struck the arm of Kirsty Smith in the box, and the referee, Ade Soneye, pointed to the spot. Mariona Caldentey stepped up and sent the ball into the bottom-left corner with zero fuss. From 1-3 to 4-3 in seven minutes — the turnaround was complete.
West Ham didn’t fold. Managerial changes injected fresh legs, and substitutes Anouk Denton and Eva Nyström both forced late scares. The Hammers pushed crosses into the area, chased second balls, and squeezed Arsenal’s exit routes. But the home side held firm through stoppage time and protected their lead with better game management — delaying restarts, clearing lines, and keeping possession when it mattered.
Arsenal’s improvement stemmed from obvious fixes. They tightened set-piece marking after the break, put more bodies in the box on their own corners, and sped up the tempo down both flanks. Williamson’s threat from dead balls gave West Ham problems, while McCabe’s aggression on the left forced errors that didn’t appear in the first half. Kelly’s movement at the far post stretched the West Ham back line and opened space for late runners.
For West Ham, the blueprint that worked early — pressure on restarts, quick wide switches, front-post traffic on corners — faded once Arsenal wrestled control of the midfield. Szemik made several brave interventions, but the damage during that seven-minute surge was decisive. Tysiak’s brace was a bright spot, as was Hanshaw’s outlet play down the left, yet the visitors will regret how quickly the game slipped away.
The numbers around the match tell their own story. Only one yellow card was shown — to Asseyi — despite the intensity. The crowd of 3,621 got a drama-heavy opening weekend for West Ham’s campaign, and a reminder of why Arsenal remain a force in tight games. The fine margin? A handball decision that stood up under pressure and a penalty coolly taken by Caldentey.
Key moments and what it means for the table
- 0–12 minutes: West Ham race 2-0 ahead through Amber Tysiak — a header from an Asseyi corner, then a close-range finish.
- First half: Chloe Kelly scores on her return, sneaking in at the back post to pull one back for Arsenal.
- 51st minute (approx.): Shekiera Martinez makes it 3-1, finishing after Verena Hanshaw’s work on the left.
- 56th minute: Katie McCabe beats Szemik at the near post from an improbable angle, 2-3.
- 58th minute: Leah Williamson’s corner header crosses the line off the underside of the bar, 3-3.
- 62nd minute: Penalty for handball against Kirsty Smith; Mariona Caldentey finds the bottom-left corner, 4-3.
- Stoppage time: West Ham substitutes Anouk Denton and Eva Nyström go close, but Arsenal see it out.
The result keeps Arsenal third in the table, eight points behind leaders Chelsea after this round. It’s a reminder that even when the performance is uneven, their ceiling is high and their leaders step up. West Ham sit ninth after this opening defeat — a tough pill given their start, but also proof they can hurt top sides with set pieces and early aggression.
Beyond the scoreline, this was about resilience. Arsenal found answers in both experience and execution: Williamson’s set-piece threat, McCabe’s edge, Caldentey’s nerve, and Kelly’s timing at the back post. West Ham brought intensity and organization but couldn’t hold back the surge. On a day full of twists, seven minutes wrote the headline.