Frida Maanum shines for Arsenal Women v Southampton – great goal & winning assist!

Arsenal Women, the defending champions of the Women’s Continental Cup, had to dig deep to win their second continental league cup game this season and go joint top with Spurs in their group (though below on goal difference).

In a game that they completely dominated, they had 59% possession and 13 shots to their opponents’ nine; unfortunately, they had to pull off a comeback once again. Our Gunners were stunned when Molly Pikes’ right-footed shot put them 1-0 down in the 55th minute. Fortunately, Arsenal are the ‘comeback queens’, as Frida Maanum, who is on a revival, equalized not long after they were a goal down, shooting the ball from outside the six-yard box past Saints’ goalkeeper Kayla Rendell.

The game would have ended 1-1 if not for Amanda Ilestedt. The halftime substitute headed in Frida Maanum’s cross in the third minute of added time, to give Arsenal the victory.

Many Gunners performed admirably in that game, but Frida Maanum stood out for me. After a rocky start to the season in which she appeared to have lost her great form from last season, when she marveled, the Norwegian now appears to be on the rise. She scored last weekend even though she only featured for the final 26 minutes of the 3-0 win over Brighton.

She now has three goals and an assist in her last four Arsenal games.

Aiscore claims she was the standout performer in the Southampton vs. Arsenal league cup match, with an 8.2 rating.

Yes, Frida Maanum’s 2023–24 season started off badly, but her recent good form in her last four Arsenal outings should kickstart her season.

Jonas Eidevall admitted in the summer, after her signing a new deal, that “I believe there is a very high ceiling for what Frida can achieve in the game, and I’m so pleased she will continue to wear Arsenal colors moving forward,” and I believe him.