Arsenal v Brighton: Women’s Super League — live!

69 min: Mead went down after a strong challenge from Barton. The Brighton defender got the ball but both seem to have come off badly from it. They have both got up at least.

67 min: Oh … the Arsenal fans are now singing Christmas songs. It’s a month until Christmas. I am very much against this.

65 min: Umotong has been all over the pitch today and has just performed a tackle to put the ball out for a corner. In tough circumstances she has certainly given her all for the cause.

63 min: There are some hardcore supporters at the game who have been singing since the first whistle.

61 min: A Mead free-kick eventually made its way to Williamson inside the area but all she could do was smash the ball out of the stadium (it’s not a big ground, to be fair).

59 min: Brazil is yet to see much of the ball out of the right since coming on for Brighton, but the whole team have not had much possession since the changing of ends. Brazil mainly seems to be on to bring freshness to the side.

57 min: Brighton only became full-time over the summer when they stepped up to this level and they are now looking pretty tired here. They have played a few slack balls and don’t look able to chase Arsenal as much.

55 min: Mead cut in from the right, along the edge of the area before unleashing a left-footed drive across goal but it flew just wide of Hourihan’s right post.

Ps Phil Neville has now left.

53 min: It’s all Arsenal here at the moment. Brighton are just about keeping them out but surely the league leaders are going to get a few more goals.

51 min: Arsenal instigated a counter-attack when the ball was sent for Miedema to chase down the flank, she cut inside but her cross found only a Brighton defender who cleared.

Moments later Evans fired a low shot towards goal but it was blocked on its way.

49 min: Arsenal earned a free-kick 25 yards from goal, which Bloodworth hit against the wall, allowing Hourihan to come and claim before the ball bounced wide.

47 min: Evans has the first shot of the second-half after Brighton failed to clear a cross but the Arsenal player sent it well over the bar from 12 yards out.

Here we go again!

Brazil has come on for Brighton, replacing Legg.

Umotong is discussing her first class degree and how she was bullied for being the only girl playing football. She seems incredibly impressive.

The third Arsenal goal …

The league leaders have been utterly dominant here. Although they went a goal behind, they have barely been without the ball in the opening 45 minutes and could be out of sight by now. Hourihan has looked good in the Brighton goal and she has had plenty to do.

45 min: The Arsenal players were shouting for a penalty after a cross bounced up onto Perry’s arm. It would have been very very harsh.

Two minutes added on.

43 min: Brighton will just be aiming to get into the break with just a two-goal deficit.

41 min: This could be a cricket score now. Brighton are just trying to hold on.

Here is the second Arsenal goal …

A Mead corner found Van de Donk on the edge of the six-yard box from where she headed home.

37 min: Miedema could have had six today alone. Her latest effort arrived when she flew past a defender near the byline and fired a shot to the near post but Hourihan used her legs once again to repel her shot.

35 min: Is there any way back for Brighton or just a question of keeping the score down? It’s probably the latter but there is enough to be positive about in their first-half performance here. They look comfortable on the ball and Umotong has shown that she is difficult to contend with.

Finally Arsenal are int he lead, it was good work on the byline from Miedema who pulled a throw-in into the path of Bloodworth who calmly slotted her shot beyond Hourihan.

32 min: A lot of pressure on Brighton here who don’t seem to have got out of their own half since the equaliser. Bloodworth tried her luck from 30 yards but a defender deflected her effort wide. The resulting corner then made it back to Bloodworth whose close range shot was blocked by a determined defender.

30 min: Brighton just managed to clear a corner from the right when it looked like it was about to land on an Arsenal head.

28 min: Hourihan claimed a free-kick but then rolled it straight out to an Arsenal player, allowing them to build a new attack. Brighton need to get back on it here otherwise things are going to get a lot worse.

The goalkeeper than made a double save when a deep cross was volleyed at goal by Miedema but Hourihan stopped it with her feet, something she replicated when McCabe smashed the rebound at her.

26 min: Williams took her eye off the ball for the goal, when a pass was played 20 yards back to her, as the defender allowed the ball to run under her foot. A pretty horrible mistake in truth. Brighton cannot be doing things like that.

Brighton hit the bar 30 seconds earlier, but a horrible mistake from Williams at the back allowed Miedma to run through on goal, take the ball around the goalkeeper and tap into an empty goal.

23 min: Brighton are trying to play their way out of trouble from the back. It is working so far but might not be the best game plan for the long-term. Hope Powell is going full Bielsa by watching from atop a cooler box.

21 min: It’s more of a case of when Arsenal will equalise rather than if. They are utterly dominant here but Brighton are jut about holding on despite the hosts having a plethora of great opportunities.

19 min: Arsenal took a quick corner, which landed on McCabe’s foot just outside the area, from where she volleyed inches wide, with the help of a deflection.

Miedema then met a cross at the back post but her headed went just the wrong side of the post.

17 min: The goal has given Brighton plenty of confidence and they are playing the ball around nicely. Umotong looks little isolated up top but she is happy to run all day.

Here is the opening goal …

15 min: It’s still all Arsenal when it comes to possession but Brighton have shown all it takes is a chance and the hosts are the ones looking more nervous at the back.

13 min: Brighton pumped a free-kick into the box which Umotong won in the air, heading it into the path of Williams who had an open goal to aim at from six yards as Van Veenendaal was nowhere to be seen after failing to catch the cross, but Williams barely made contact as she flicked the ball wide.

11 min: That was only the fifth goal Arsenal have conceded all season and it just all seemed very easy for her to outwit Williamson and Quinn. Umotong now knows that she can have the better of these two.

Now this is a turn up for the books. Umatong battled with the Arsenal centre-backs to get onto the end of a long ball over the top. Once she had control of the ball she ran away from the defenders and calmly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper to give Brighton a shock lead.

8 min: After a terrible time against Reading, Hourihan has already made a couple of great saves and she will certainly need to make a few more if Brighton are to have a chance in this match.

6 min: Arsenal are looking confident here and are taking their time building moves, knowing that they will be getting numerous chances over the course of 90 minutes.

4 min: Arsenal are putting pressure on the goal-kick as they know Hourihan cannot get too much distance on the kick. It could be long afternoon here for Brighton who look very nervous. Miedema had another chance when a cross found her but the striker’s shot was blocked by Rafferty.

The corner was then headed onto the bar and Miedema had her close-range shot smothered by the goalkeeper.

2 min: Arsenal really should have been a goal ahead inside 30 seconds. The Gunners on the front foot were helped by a missplaced pass at the back, which was intercepted by Miedema but her shot from eight yards was blocked by Hourihan and Brighton just about managed to clear.

Peep! Peep! Here we go!

The teams are out on the pitch ahead of kick-off, flanked by a huge collection of mascots.

England manager Phil Neville is in attendance to have a look at the English players on show.

Hope Powell says the absence of Jordan Nobbs will not change how Brighton play today. She also noted that Brighton are expected to lose today, having admitted how hard they have found things in the top flight this season.

Arsenal manager Joe Montemurro was very positive about Brighton prior to the match.

I know that Brighton are a new team to the league and they’ve done very, very well so far.

They’re going to be a difficult opponent, but everyone in this league is a difficult opponent.

We need to realign and keep players fresh because a lot of these players have had a lot of work to do during the international break, and then they’ve had to instantly come back, play a game and maintain the same levels.

We need to keep our momentum going, but at the same time we have to be smart in how we approach the game and manage our players.”

It is pretty cold in north London today but there is a decent crowd at Boreham Wood FC. The pitch is getting a good watering, too.

Getting warm …

Something a little different …

Is there any stopping Arsenal this season? It does not look like it currently. Manchester City are their nearest rivals and, despite being unbeaten, have endured some stuttering performances this season. Arsenal are looking pretty formidable, with their destruction of Chelsea are sure sign that they are the team to beat.

Good on Casey Stoney …

Brighton have two goalkeepers on the bench and a Le Tissier. It turns out, however, that teenage midfielder Maya Le Tissier is not related to the former Southampton forward. Sixteen-year-old Le Tissier, who is from Guernsey, has captained England at youth level.

Arsenal: Van Veenendaal, Evans, Williamson, Quinn, Mitchell, Bloodworth, Walti, Van de Donk, McCabe, Mead, Miedema

Subs: Peyraud-Magnin, Kuyken, Grant, Bailey-Grant

Brighton: Hourihan, Barton, Rafferty, Williams, Perry, Green, Legg, Peplow, Natkiel, Umotong, A Whelan

Subs: Gillett, Harris, Gibbons, Brazil, Brett, Simpkins, Le Tissier

Some very worrying news from the WSL …

Brighton have arrived …

Here is more on that Jordan Nobbs injury …

Arsenal have won all eight of their Women’s Super League games so far this season, scoring 38 goals and conceding just four to take them six points clear at the top of the table. Striker Vivianne Miedema has scored 13 of those goals in just the eight outings, which makes her a ferocious opponent and will be worrying a few Brighton defenders about now.

It is all not good news for Arsenal who lost midfielder Jordan Nobbs last week to a serious knee injury. She has ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament meaning she will almost certainly miss the rest of the season and is a major doubt for next summer’s World Cup.

Brighton on the other hand have won once and lost six times in their opening eight games, so they will be huge underdogs in north London this afternoon. Last time out they lost 4-1 to Reading, in a match which saw goalkeeper Marie Hourihan score an own goal and make two more disastrous mistakes, so she will be looking to bounce back today but this does not seem like a likely location to turn things around.