7 hours ago
3
Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat of Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium was never going to be a statement of the Gunners’ title intentions, City’s lead at the top is just too big, but a result against the likely champions still had huge value.
It would take the most almighty of collapses for City to lose their grip on a second league title, 10 years after their first. They are eight points clear of Manchester United, and 10 clear of Arsenal, who have a game in hand.
Renée Slegers’s side have struggled against other top four teams this season. Until their thumping 2-0 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago, they had collected three points from four Women’s Super League games against City, United and Chelsea, with a defeat against City in the reverse fixture and draws in the others.
The Gunners have looked a different side since riding out a slow start to the year, this game against City and the defeat of Chelsea sandwiching their victory in the inaugural Women’s Champions Cup.
The Champions League holders are now two points behind second-placed United, with that game in hand, and the win, courtesy of Olivia Smith’s first-half goal, keeps them firmly in the hunt for a place in Europe next year.
There was some wariness before this showstopperthough, with Andrée Jeglertz’s City having humbled the reigning WSL champions Chelsea the preceding week, with the Brazilian forward Kerolin scoring a hat-trick in the 5-1 win.
City’s attacking talent is difficult to contain, Khadija Shaw, Lauren Hemp and Kerolin forming a formidable front three and the former Arsenal forward Vivianne Miedema shining in the No 10 role.
The Emirates is Arsenal’s playground though and they had gone hard marketing the game to ensure an atmosphere that could impact, 39,155 fans swarming towards the ground to see the new world champions, following their somewhat meaningless Champions Cup win.
It was the home team who started brighter, the red shirts snapping at City’s heels. They were hungrier, quicker to second balls and physical in their press. One way to stop City’s domineering attack is to not let them have much of the ball and, for much of the game, that was a super-effective strategy. Defensively Arsenal were superb, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Steph Catley’s centre-back partnership really starting to flourish, and allowing for Leah Williamson to be eased back in after her absence through injury.
That is where City were lacking and how they were undone in the first half; Mariona Caldentey played a one-two with Kim Little before sending a beautifully weighted ball through to Smith. The centre-back Rebecca Knaak was unable to keep pace with the Canada international who shrugged clear of the half-hearted challenge and rounded the goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita before rolling into the empty net.
It was a well-worked goal and Arsenal should have extended their lead as time ticked on; Alessia Russo who twice went close in quick succession, forcing a smart save.
Arsenal were lucky too, Caldentey inexplicably not penalised for bringing down Lauren Hemp on the edge of the area when the England forward just had Daphne van Domselaar to beat.
There was another heart-in-mouth moment with just over 10 minutes remaining. Miedema collected Yui Hasegawa’s through-ball only to lose her footing before pulling back Katie McCabe as she recovered and slid the ball into the net but it was ruled out for the foul.
They rode their luck and the risk of City punishing their early profligacy was constant but, try as they might, the visiting team could not find a way through and on the full-time whistle the home crowd rose to their feet and celebrated, content with denting City’s run, even if, surely, they will be unable to wrestle the trophy from them.
