Dario Vidosic’s Brighton and Hove Albion made history against giants Arsenal in the Women’s Super League (WSL) – a result seven years in the making.
For the first time in the club’s history, Brighton conquered UEFA Women’s Champions League finalists Arsenal in the WSL thanks to a shock 4-2 victory on Tuesday (AEST) under the leadership of former Melbourne City Ninja A-League boss Vidosic.
The result snapped a run of 13 straight losses to Arsenal in the league and seven consecutive defeats to the Gunners in all competitions, which saw Brighton – who did overcome the London powerhouse on penalties in a 2018 League Cup shoot-out – fail to score while conceding 28 goals in that period.
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CommBank Matildas star Caitlin Foord equalised for second-placed Arsenal – who also had Australia international Steph Catley in the line-up – in the first half but Brighton proved to good on home soil.
In his first season with Brighton, Vidosic is set to guide the Seagulls to their highest-ever WSL finish. Brighton are fifth – three points clear of Liverpool heading into the final round.
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“A great crowd came out to see us off for season and to give them that win was special. We had to stay together, be resilient and tough and we did all that,” said Vidosic, who arrived at Brighton at the start of the season after winning the Ninja A-League Premiership with City in 2023-24.
“We lost Melina (Loeck) in the warm-up with a dislocated finger and Fran at half-time so we had to adapt.
“I would have liked us to have had the ball a bit more and that’s something for us to learn, that we can stay calm and keep possession well even against a good team like Arsenal.
“Going forward we were always a threat, and we scored some fantastic goals. You won’t see better finishes than Fran and Jelena’s all season. And Sophie Baggaley was outstanding.
“We know her quality and to be called in less than 10 minutes and play against Arsenal like that was phenomenal. We were clinical against a world-class team.”
Featured image: Brighton and Hove Albion
