Arsenal Ladies Win Quadruple
Women's FA Cup to add to League, League Cup and UEFA Women's Cup
Arsenal Ladies completed an amazing season with four trophies - the Women's Premier League title, the Women's Premier League Cup, Women's FA Cup and UEFA Women's Cup.
Chelsea Football Club under Jose Mourinho aspired to such success but ultimately fell well short. Arsenal Ladies have shown them how to achieve the ‘quadruple’ of trophies.
The Women’s FA Cup success against Charlton Ladies gave them the historic ‘quadruple’. The game was played before 24,529 spectators at the City Ground, Nottingham, the home of Nottingham Forest. Arsenal Ladies were overwhelming favourites to win the trophy as they have remained undefeated in their League games this season and have also claimed the Women's Premier League Cup and the UEFA Women’s Cup. However, Charlton had been the last team to defeat Arsenal when they won the League Cup in April, 2006.
Arsenal received an early shock which would ensure no complacency among the players when Charlton took the lead after two minutes through Katie Holtham. However, within fifteen minutes Arsenal had equalised and taken the lead. They were only behind for five minutes when Kelly Smith equalised from a free-kick with the Charlton goalkeeper slow to cover it. Eight minutes later normal service was resumed when Arsenal captain, Jayne Ludlow scored. A second goal from Ludlow just before the interval reflected Arsenal’s dominance and crushed Charlton’s spirit, with their goalkeeper again at fault.
A second goal from Smith with ten minutes remaining sealed Arsenal’s victory and the ‘quadruple’.
Earlier in the season Arsenal had won the FA Premier League Cup by defeating Leeds with a single goal scored by Jayne Ludlow, in the final minute of the game.
Arsenal have now won their fourth successive Premier League title – to date they have played twenty games and won them all. Such is their dominance in ladies football in England that they have scored a massive 120 goals and only conceded 8.
However, they have shown that their success is not restricted to home shores – they have become the first English side to win the UEFA Women’s Cup. They played Umea, the Swedish champions over two legs and won 1-0 on aggregate. The first leg was in Sweden and a late goal from Alex Scott gave the Arsenal Ladies an important advantage for the return game a week later. Then they held out for a scoreless draw, although they did have moments of good fortune as the Swedish side hit the bar and the post and they found the Arsenal goalkeeper, Emma Byrne, in excellent form as they searched for the elusive goal they required.
Ladies football does not receive the prominence in England that it receives in America and other parts of the world but with the Women’s FA Cup now shown regularly on television and increasing attendances at that Final the interest in the game is growing.
The England international team also receive increasing support and greater coverage in the media and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in China in September will provide another opportunity for the game to showcase itself.
