Olivia Smith immediately began to repay women’s football’s first £1m fee as she scored a stunning debut goal in Arsenal’s 4-1 victory over London City Lionesses.
Smith, 21, made history this summer by joining the Gunners from Arsenal for £1m in July and showed exactly why she was worth so much as calmly evaded Maria Perez on 29 minutes before launching a spectacular whipped finish into the top corner from well outside the box.
That got the European champions back on level terms after a Kosovare Asllani penalty had given Women’s Super League newbies London City a surprise early lead.
The Gunners settled from there and Chloe Kelly fired them ahead on the stroke of half-time before substitutes Stina Blackstenius and Frida Maanum sealed the win late on to give the final scoreline a slightly flattering look.
A mammoth crowd of 38,142 at the Emirates Stadium were left delighted by a player-of-the-match performance from Canada international Smith, who was direct, confident on the ball and a constant source of danger even aside from her wonder-goal, as she was given a standing ovation when substituted just after the hour mark.
“Honestly, that’s what comes for me – the goals I want to score,” Smith told the BBC after the game. “Any time I see an inch of space, I want to go for goal. It’s a very special moment for me.
“Even just before the game, Renee [Arsenal boss Renee Slegers] said just to be me and enjoy it. They brought me here for a reason, and I think I did that today. The fans are amazing, they bring in amazing support – I didn’t feel any pressure to perform.”
The Lionesses are not your average newly-promoted WSL side, with the financial backing of American billionaire owner Michele Kang allowing them to bring in big names such as Nikita Parris and Katie Zelem this summer among 16 signings.
France international Grace Geyoro joined on deadline day earlier this week for a reported world record £1.43m fee, although London City chief executive Martin Semmens has denied that figure, insisting to TalkSport that “it is a big deal around the £1m mark but not a world record, sadly.”
Regardless of the price, Geyoro was not yet deemed available to play for the Lionesses and, after Asllani converted a 17th-minute penalty she won herself when 18-year-old Katie Reid lunged in late on the 201-cap Sweden international, they quickly learnt that despite being tipped by some as a dark horse for the top four, the margins are fine at the highest level.
Arsenal will be desperate to build on last season’s Women’s Champions League triumph and finally end Chelsea’s recent WSL dominance, with another summer signing, Kelly, being crucial to that aim. She grabbed the second goal when Elena Linari’s pass was intercepted by Emily Fox who found Alessia Russo and she squared it across the face of goal for her England team-mate to tap in.
Blackstenius scored a third when she converted Beth Mead’s pass before Mead was once again provider for Maanum to nod home a fourth.
