A late Silvia Blackstenius winner ensured Arsenal scored a huge WSL win over Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.
City were the superior side for much of the contest, but they were undone by a woeful error from young goalkeeper Khiara Keating, who allowed Blackstenius to finish into an open goal after breaking in behind.
Steph Catley had earlier given the Gunners the lead before Chloe Kelly restored parity midway through the second half.
Arsenal’s victory sees them climb up to fourth in the WSL and level on points with the previously unbeaten City.
How the game unfolded
The opening exchanges was all about the respective presses of the two sides. Man City’s work without the ball initially troubled the Gunners, who frequently turned the ball over, while Arsenal’s press looked disjointed and lacking cohesion.
City, though, weren’t able to take advantage of their early superiority and Catley’s goal against the run of play turned the tide. Suddenly, it was the visitors who looked dishevelled under pressure as Arsenal got to grips with the inversion of their full-backs.
Jonas Eidevall’s side were excellent after taking the lead and they missed a gilt-edged opportunity to double their lead, but Kim Little was denied brilliantly by Keating from the penalty spot.
City regained some momentum towards the end of the first half as both Jill Roord and Lauren Hemp went close to restoring parity, and the visitors continued to ask questions after the restart with their threat from wide areas distinct. Following a barrage of early second-half chances, Arsenal started to sink deeper in the hope of preserving their lead, but City eventually scored a deserved equaliser through Kelly.
The visitors were then intent on snatching all three points as they dominated the remainder of the contest, but they were then dealt the ultimate sucker punch when substitute Blackstenius pounced on a Keating error in the closing stages.
A medical emergency in the stands meant there was a large dose of added time, but City, who suddenly turned ponderous in possession, failed to fashion an opening similar to the many they’d created before Blackstenius’ winner.
GK: Manuela Zinsberger – 5/10 – Another game without a clean sheet for Zinsberger. The Arsenal goalkeeper claimed the high ball well, but it was a messy outing in possession.
RB: Katie McCabe – 7/10 – Always a tough gig for a left-footer to be playing on the opposite flank. McCabe was good in the first half, but Lauren Hemp started to dominate the duel after the restart. Assisted the winner (thanks to Keating).
CB: Amanda Ilestedt – 6/10 – The experienced defender held up pretty well despite Bunny Shaw’s distinct threat. Rarely got into a foot race with the City striker.
CB: Lotte Wubben-Moy – 8/10 – Had a few problems dealing with City’s crosses, but she was excellent stepping out of defence to deal with Shaw when the ball arrived at her feet. Distribution over large distances was impressive.
LB: Steph Catley – 7/10 – Scored a fine opener, but had a few issues dealing with the threat of Kelly, who constantly sought to hit the byline down the right flank.
CM: Victoria Pelova – 6/10 – Industrious in the middle of the park, but she was walking a tightrope after being booked for dissent and was withdrawn on the hour.
CM: Lia Walti – 7/10 – Disciplined after picking up an early caution.
RM: Cloe Lacasse – 6/10 – Bright down the right flank, and caused particular problems with her work out of possession. Won Arsenal a penalty which Little failed to convert.
AM: Kim Little – 7/10 – Little had some success operating between the lines, but she didn’t have much of a creative influence. Improved when she dropped into a deeper position.
LM: Caitlin Foord – 7/10 – The Australian teed up her compatriot for the opener, and she produced a couple of sequences of serious ingenuity. Foord, however, wasn’t particularly efficient in the final third.
ST: Alessia Russo – 7/10 – A frustrating afternoon for Russo, who didn’t get a sniff of goal, but was brilliant at holding the ball up and bringing others into play.
Substitutes
Beth Mead (60′ for Lacasse) – 6/10
Frida Maanum (60′ for Pelova) – 6/10
Stina Blackstenius (75′ for Russo) – 7/10
Noelle Moritz (90′ for Foord) – N/A
Jennifer Beattie (90′ for Catley) – N/A
Manager
Jonas Eidevall – 8/10 – His side played with an intensity often bereft of the Gunners this season. While they were undoubtedly fortunate to claim all three points, it was Eidevall’s substitute who bagged the winner.
GK: Khiara Keating – 3/10 – Despite saving Little’s penalty, Keating made two huge errors, the second of which led to City’s demise.
RB: Esme Morgan – 7/10 – Immensely comfortable in possession, and drifted into a central position when required. Coped pretty well with Arsenal’s Australian left flank after she was pinned by Foord for the opener.
CB: Alanna Kennedy – 7/10 – A stout outing from Kennedy, who exuded calm at the heart of City’s defence.
CB: Laia Aleixandri – 7/10 – Lovely to watch in possession. Excellent carrier of the ball, and remarkably composed under pressure. Took responsibility in the build-up.
LB: Leila Ouahabi – 4/10 – Reintroduced to the side in Alex Greenwood’s absence and had a few issues. Occasionally sloppy with the ball,
CM: Yui Hasegawa – 8/10 – Arsenal’s vigour meant she couldn’t quite get into the game early on, but she was stellar once City got a foothold. Majestic in tight spaces, and always seems to have plenty of time on the ball,
CM: Jill Roord – 7/10 – A classy operator in the midfield, with City’s inverted full-backs allowing her to operate higher up the pitch.
RM: Chloe Kelly – 8/10 – Kelly must’ve been frustrated at her teammates for not making the most of her excellent deliveries from the right flank. So, she took it upon herself to get the visitors back into the contest.
AM: Mary Fowler – 7/10 – After a quiet first half, Fowler grew into the contest and was particularly troublesome when she combined with Hemp down the left.
LM: Lauren Hemp – 8/10 – Fantastic in the second half as City fought back. Hemp was City’s driving force in the final third with her direct running and ability to create from the half-space.
ST: Bunny Shaw – 7/10 – Pretty remarkable that she didn’t score. Shaw was a constant threat, both in the air and on the ground, but a lack of anticipation meant she was often unable to make the most of City’s excellent crosses from both flanks.
Substitutes
Kerstin Casparij (61′ for Ouahabi) – 5/10
Julie Blakstad (61′ for Morgan) – 7/10
Deyna Castellanos (89′ for Hemp) – N/A
Jessica Park (89′ for Kelly) – N/A
Manager
Gareth Taylor – 8/10 – The boss will feel hard done by. Taylor tinkered with City’s possession configuration which helped them gain a foothold, and his first pair of substitutions aided their ability to create down the left. Coached a win, but ended up with nothing.
Player of the Match: Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal)
