Brighton Women’s manager Dario Vidosic has confirmed that defender Maelis Mpome is “recovering well” after suffering concussion during the match against Arsenal. The concussion required extensive medical treatment and caused a significant delay of more than 10 minutes. As Mpome attempted to clear a cross, the ball hit him in the face and he was forced to leave the pitch on a stretcher. The Brighton centre-back received initial treatment on the field before being placed in a neck brace and taken to a stretcher.
A team of six medical staff assisted her escape while wearing oxygen masks, but the incident turned out to be extremely alarming. The interruption resulted in an additional 13 minutes of play at the end of the match, which the hosts secured, but the French defender was lucky to be able to return home with his teammates.
Vidosic told Brighton’s website: “She is awake and has had a shower, which is very good news. She will continue to undergo tests, but that is not a problem because it is important for players to come off the pitch as healthy as they went on.”
Brighton’s manager also commented on the injury: “It’s never good to see a team-mate get injured. Fatigue may have played a role as well. We tried to push everyone as much as we could in a safe way, but the 10-minute stoppage may have disrupted the rhythm of the game.”
Arsenal’s victory came in the 16th minute when Olivia Smith’s shot went into the net. As a result, they achieved 3 wins from their first 6 matches and moved up to 5th place in the WSL.
However, the away team is in 7th place, with a four-point difference. Vidosic admitted concerns over Mpome’s safety may have affected his team-mates as Brighton struggle to secure a much-needed equaliser.
Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne van Domsselaar kept the hosts at bay, with Marisa Ollislager’s first-half own goal proving the match-winner.
Arsenal manager Renee Sleggers reflected on their performance: “I think we started well and spent a lot of time in the opposition half. We scored in the first half and I think the most important thing today was the three points.”
“Of course, we all know that the results have not been easy for us in the last few games. So all we wanted today was three points and we got the three points. I think there were some good moments in the game, there were moments where we could have done more and we want to do better, but the most important thing is that we won today and got the three points.”
