Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
by Layth Yousif
at Ashburton Grove

RENEE SLEGERS’S side secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Women’s Super League leaders Manchester City in N5 this afternoon, with a first half goal from the Gunners £1 million summer signing Olivia Smith.

Smith’s winner in the 17th minute inflicted City’s first WSL defeat since the opening day of the season, with the 21-year-old Canadian’s strike coming after being fed by Mariona Caldentey to cap a good couple of weeks for the north Londoners. The Gunners now having now beaten Chelsea and City in consecutive league games, either side of winning the Champions Cup.

Caitlin Foord nearly doubled the score shortly afterwards with a stinging shot City keeper Ayaka Yamashita was equal to.

As Arsenal dominated, the relentlessly combative Katie McCabe went close just after the half-hour mark.

Five minutes before the interval, Foord’s shot was blocked, but the loose ball fell for Caldentey, who volleyed wide from 20 yards out.

As the clock ticked down towards the break, City keeper Yamashita showed excellent reflexes to tip over from Alessia Russo’s powerful header, after the Gunners striker met Beth Mead’s corner in a crowded box.

On the hour mark Foord fired the wrong side of Yamashita’s near post after the Gunners swept forward.

As the game opened-up City appeared to have a strong claim for Caldentey to be sent off, after the Spanish international looked to have brought down Lioness Lauren Hemp, who was clean through on goal shortly after the hour mark – but no foul, nor sanction was given by referee Abigail Byrne, who simply waved play on, with Caldentey lucky to remain on the pitch.

With time running out, Slegers made a triple substitution, introducing Leah Williamson, Smilla Holmberg, and Chloe Kelly, the trio welcomed with great acclaim by the majority of the impressive Sunday lunchtime crowd of 39,155, as the home side hung on to seal victory.