Alessia Russo dedicated her goal to a young Arsenal supporter who sadly passed away on Thursday. The England striker scored Arsenal’s second in a 5-0 thrashing of West Ham United at Emirates Stadium, forming a C with her hands during the celebration.

Russo explained the deeper meaning behind the hand gesture after the match. The forward had visited the young fan a couple of weeks ago before her passing, which demonstrates the close bond between players and supporters at the club.

Was for Cara Jo and Her Family

Russo spoke about the dedication in her post match interview. “It was nice to get on the scoresheet. The C was for a young girl called Cara Jo. She sadly passed away on Thursday, but I went to see her a couple of weeks ago,” the striker said.

She continued, “She unfortunately had cancer, but she was a proper fighter and a proper gooner. So yes, that was for her and her family,” which is absolutely heartbreaking but shows the incredible spirit of young supporters battling illness.

Really Professional Performance

Russo was pleased with Arsenal’s composed display against the Hammers. “Really professional. Scoring early as well was great. And then we were very clinical in and around the box. Probably could have been a little bit more ruthless as well if we’d been tough on ourselves,” she explained.

The 27 year old is looking forward to playing at Emirates Stadium again this week. “We’re really excited today to be back at the Emirates and then knowing that we’re here Tuesday and then Saturday as well. This is our home. We love playing here,” Russo said.

Arsenal hosts Chelsea in the Champions League quarter final first leg on Tuesday before welcoming Tottenham in the North London derby on Saturday, which promises to be a massive week.

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Leah Williamson will sit out Arsenal‘s Women’s Super League fixture against West Ham United on Saturday afternoon. The England captain has been managing a hamstring problem and will not be risked ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League quarter final first leg against Chelsea at Emirates Stadium.

Renee Slegers confirmed the news in her pre match press conference on Friday. The Dutch coach also revealed that Frida Maanum is unavailable due to illness. Arsenal face a hectic period with four consecutive London derbies, including two legs against the Blues in Europe.

Managing Problems With Her Hamstring

Slegers provided an update on her squad ahead of the lunchtime kickoff. “Leah has been managing some problems with her hamstring, so don’t expect her to be ready for tomorrow,” the Arsenal boss explained. This is frankly the sensible call given the magnitude of the Chelsea tie just three days later.

Williamson’s absence means Lotte Wubben Moy will likely partner Laia Codina in central defence. The backline has coped well without the captain in recent weeks. Steph Catley remains unavailable following Australia’s run to the Asian Cup final.

Maanum Ruled Out Through Illness

Frida Maanum has been ill this week, which rules the Norwegian midfielder out of contention. “We don’t expect her to be able to play tomorrow,” Slegers confirmed. The midfield will need reshuffling, with Kim Little and Victoria Pelova expected to start.

Arsenal sits fourth with two games in hand on third placed Manchester United. Slegers remains focused on finishing the season strongly. “The games we have left in the league, they’re so important. It starts tomorrow with West Ham,” she said, which demonstrates the right priorities despite the Champions League distraction looming large.

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Arsenal host West Ham United at Emirates Stadium on Saturday lunchtime in the Women’s Super League as Renee Slegers’ side look to extend their winning streak, with plenty of fans also checking the latest odds on various betting sites ahead of kick-off. The Gunners are on a run of eight consecutive wins across three competitions and sit fourth in the table with two games in hand on second placed Manchester United.

West Ham earned a creditable 0-0 draw at home to Manchester United on Wednesday evening, which keeps them three points clear of basement club Leicester City. Rita Guarino’s side have improved since the Italian took over from Rehanne Skinner just before the winter break.

Kick-off: 12:00 GMT, Sunday, March 21, 2026
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
TV: Sky Sports

Maanum and Williamson Both Out

Frida Maanum is likely to miss the game with illness, which is a blow for Arsenal’s midfield options. Leah Williamson has been managing a small hamstring issue and is unlikely to be risked with the Champions League quarter final against Chelsea looming on Tuesday.

Caitlin Foord, Steph Catley, and Kyra Cooney-Cross are all unavailable following Australia’s qualification for the Asian Cup final against Japan on Sunday morning. Katie Reid, Manu Zinsberger, and Michelle Agyemang remain out with ACL injuries, which continues to stretch the squad.

Hammers Missing Asian Cup Trio

West Ham will be shorn of Riko Ueki, Katrina Gorry, and Yu Endo due to the Asian Cup. This robs them of three important players, but that didn’t stop them from shutting out Manchester United in midweek, which was absolutely impressive.

Viviane Asseyi and Anouk Martinez are two of the best attackers in the bottom half of the WSL. They give West Ham a significant threat on the break. Arsenal last met the Hammers on matchweek two in Dagenham, running out 5-1 winners.

Predicted Lineups

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): van Domselaar; Fox, Wubben-Moy, Codina, McCabe; Little, Pelova; Mead, Mariona, Blackstenius; Russo

West Ham (4-2-3-1): Hollinrake; Brosnan, Leat, Smith, Shimizu; Rigoglioso, Cooke; Martinez, Payne, Asseyi; Snoeijs

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