Match in Focus: Arsenal lay a devastating late double blow on title pretenders Manchester City

While it looked for 89 minutes as though Manchester City were closing in on a second domestic title, two late goals from Stina Blackstenius have blown the race for the WSL trophy back wide open...

Arsenal came from behind to lay a blow on Manchester City’s title hopes. Image: Andrew Yates / Sportimage

A dramatic finale at the City Football Academy saw the Barclays Women’s Super League title race take another twist - or two - as Stina Blackstenius scored twice after coming on as a substitute to dent Manchester City’s hopes of a second title in a decade.

1-0 up until the 89th-minute after Lauren Hemp’s early opener, Gareth Taylor’s side were on the verge of a result which would have left them needing just a point to secure the title on the final day, but now may have the destination of the trophy taken out of their own hands depending on Chelsea’s next two results.

Emma Hayes’s side defeat to Liverpool on Wednesday means this result is not terminal, but it may get Hayes both rethinking her comments which suggested the towel was being thrown in and dreaming again of a farewell WSL title before heading off to the USA.

Where Arsenal brought on options from the bench such as match-winner Blackstenius, as well as the likes of Kim Little and Caitlin Foord in the attack, City toiled and looked both leggy and nervy throughout the second half, with the only guilt-edged chance for a second coming when Mary Fowler was denied by the foot of Manuela Zinsberger.

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Without the focal point of Khadija Shaw, City struggled for an outlet second half as long balls continuously came back at them, and the pressure told as the hosts conceded a first headed goal of the season in stoppage time to leave the title hanging once again by a thread for both sides involved.

Arsenal had not won at the CFA since 2017 in the Spring Series but in the space of five dramatic minutes became the second team in WSL history to record three straight wins against the blue side of Manchester - all of them ending 2-1!

For Hayes, it was a much-needed favour from an unlikely ally in Jonas Eidevall, putting to bed the demons laid by former Chelsea and Man City defender Gemma Bonner on Wednesday, as well as the manager she replaced at Cobham in Matt Beard.

Here’s five key takeaways from the match in WFC’s view…

Manchester City struggled for an outlet without Khadija Shaw

This was always going to be the key test for Taylor without talismanic forward Khadija Shaw.

Beyond her 21 league goals this season, the whole look and style of City’s attack changes without the presence of Shaw in the attack and Chloe Kelly understandbly couldn’t replicate the same impact in the lone forward role, with Mary Fowler and Lauren Hemp once again either side of her.

Things got off to a good start as City caused problems in particular down Arsenal’s right, and that’s where the opener came from as a loose ball dropped to an untracked Leila Ouahabi who pulled the ball back for Hemp to slot home the first blow.

It was Hemp’s fifth goal against Arsenal, now third most in the league’s history behind Rachel Williams and Toni Duggan, but City struggled to build on that goal, and bar the big save to deny Fowler in the second half, the hosts just couldn’t muster enough to find the critical second.

There was little for Taylor to turn to with only Filippa Angeldahl replacing yellow card-carrying Laura Coombs in a straight swap before a late change was enforced when Kerstin Casparij picked up a knock and was replaced by Alanna Kennedy.

Beyond that, it was untested youngsters such as Laura Blindkilde Brown and Poppy Pritchard, and they never managed to set up the counter attacks with both Hemp and Kelly looking more tired with every hoof ball up the pitch.

Arsenal’s options won the game

Arsenal meanwhile showed their depth off the bench, towards the end reverting to something incredibly close to the team which threw away two late points against Everton last weekend.

This was no mean feat, with City themselves having only dropped two points from winning positions all season, and while a draw would have been ok in the grand context of things, a late winner for Arsenal could yet prove terminal for Taylor’s side.