West Ham United: Women’s expert reacts to win v Arsenal
West Ham Women’s expert Michelle Irons has provided her reaction to the victory against Arsenal on 4 February.
England international Alessia Russo gave the Gunners a half-time lead before a Viviane Asseyi penalty and Hawa Cissoko goal handed the Hammers all three points at Victoria Road.
Irons believes it was a “historic win” as she praised Asseyi for her “fantastic” achievement of becoming the all-time leading French scorer in the WSL.
“West Ham appeared to be at full strength, with old heads Zadoraky and Gorry in the starting 11 after they have both come in and hit the ground running,” Irons exclusively told West Ham Zone.
“We needed this impetus at the back and in the middle, with Gorry becoming a fan favourite purely for her tenacity and tackling, making her an absolutely fantastic addition to our squad.
“There were lots of free-flowing balls from Arsenal, but West Ham were resilient in their play, which is a real contrast to the back end of last year when this type of play was desperately missing.
“Arsenal are no doubt an excellent team, a tough-to-break-down team, with superstars in their ranks. We really reacted to the crowd, which was predominately the away support as boos could be heard. I feel that only spurred us on.
“I like this change in attitude. As a season ticket holder, I want to see us evolve and take the game on. I feel like last year was a really stressful and frustrating time for us, with no home win all year in the WSL. In my opinion, it’s not good enough for a club like West Ham.
“The game was high tempo during the first half, with an opportunity for Arsenal in the box which, if you give them space, their international players will score.
“Half-time arrived shortly after and West Ham came out resilient and determined. This is what we have been craving, a real desire to go to the end and fight for points. This is purely down to Katrina Gorry with her addition to this team. She has been a breath of fresh air, a real pleasure to watch.
“She didn’t sit back, she was full of energy as she tackled, tracked back and was in the thick of it. She’s been a fantastic replacement for Kate Longhurst and, to an extent, Dagny Brynjarsdottir. She’s got a real eye for a pass, too, which I think helps Hayashi and her forward thinking.
“A well-deserved penalty was awarded after a challenge on Riko gave Vivienne Asseyi the chance to add to her tally as she became the all-time leading French scorer in the league, which is a fantastic achievement.
“We held strong and matched Arsenal at each end of the pitch. An entertaining game no doubt but the shocker came when Hawa Cissoko pounced on a loose punch from the Arsenal keeper to put West Ham ahead. What a hit from her as it brought the booing away fans to a standstill.
“It was very well deserved. We held strong as we cleared every ball, blocked every pass and read the danger. In this team, I saw potential when we beat Brighton back in October before falling away and ending up languishing at the bottom during the Christmas period.
“We now need to take this extra confidence from this historic win and push on. Every player deserves credit. For me, the calmness and professionalism of Vivienne Asseyi were the difference, but Katrina Gorry was our missing link. I hope our fortunes don’t fade and we go on now and climb the table.
Next up for West Ham Women is a trip to face Everton Women on 18 February.
In other West Ham news, Kevin Nolan has shared what Declan Rice told him about Kalvin Phillips.
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