Roord hits hat-trick as Nobbs returns
Jill Roord scored a hat-trick as Arsenal maintained their impressive pre-season form with a 6-0 derby drubbing of Tottenham Women in a friendly match at Meadow Park.
Having beaten West Ham in a friendly behind closed doors last week, Arsenal were soon into their stride against their north London neighbours as Roord opened the scoring after just five minutes, converting from close range after a Kim Little corner.
Jennifer Beattie made it 2-0, again following a corner, and the third came after the interval from Jordan Nobbs, who scored within five minutes of being introduced as a second-half substitute for Little. The goal was greeted ecstatically by the crowd, not least because Nobbs was making her return to action following a long lay-off due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury which caused the England midfielder to miss the World Cup.
Vivianne Miedema’s tireless efforts paid off when she made it 4-0 after 60 minutes with a well-struck left-foot shot. Nobbs’s introduction also allowed Roord to push forward and the Dutch player was rewarded with two further goals as she completed her treble. Meanwhile, Chelsea’s Erin Cuthbert will miss Scotland’s opening qualifier in their Euro 2021 qualifying campaign after she and fellow forward Fiona Brown withdrew through injury.
Hibernian’s Amy Muir and Jamie-lee Napier have been called up as their replacements for Friday’s match against Cyprus at Easter Road.