Arsenal 2-1 Aston Villa: Player ratings as Gunners bag dramatic WSL win
Arsenal came from behind to score twice in added time to seal their first win of the campaign.
Beth Mead made her return to the pitch after suffering an ACL injury 11 months ago at the Emirates.
Maz Pacheco's early strike almost handed the Gunners defeat.
FROM EMIRATES STADIUM — Arsenal scored two stoppage time goals to break Aston Villa's hearts in a pulsating WSL game that saw Beth Mead make her long-awaited return from injury.
Mead climbed off the bench in the 88th minute with Arsenal trailing to Maz Pacheco's first half goal, and she set Alessia Russo up for the winning goal after Katie McCabe had levelled the scores.
In front of 35,829 supporters in north London, Arsenal avenged their final day defeat to Carla Ward's Villa last season, kickstarting their campaign after a surprise defeat to Liverpool on the opening day and more dropped points against Manchester United.
Jonas Eidevall made five changes to the team held by United at Leigh Sports Village, with Manuela Zinsberger and Lotte Wubben-Moy among the players to come back into the Arsenal side.
The game's first big chance fell to Arsenal's Caitlin Foord after an error by Daphne van Domselaar, but the Villa goalkeeper's blushes were spared by a vital clearance by Pacheco at the back post.
Pacheco would then influence the game at the other end of the pitch, taking advantage of more woeful defending from Arsenal, who have been dogged by inconsistency in the early stages of the season, to nod home Lucy Staniforth's corner.
Arsenal, still missing Leah Williamson in the heart of central defence, had chances of their own against a high-pressing Villa, with Russo seeing an effort cleared off the line by England international teammate Rachel Daly.
Foord had a second half effort
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