LONDON, England — Arsenal‘s hopes of UEFA Women’s Champions League qualification next season got a major boost on Sunday with a 1-0 victory over champions-elect Manchester City that has opened the door ajar on the Women’s Super League (WSL) title race that many assumed was over last weekend.
Nothing in the WSL is ever set in stone. City’s first loss since the opening weekend of the season proved that even after a 5-1 demolition job of reigning champions Chelsea — which led many to assume the title race was done and dusted — there is still hope that City’s eight-point gap at the top of the table could be closed.
Arsenal’s early pressure and a reshuffled attack allowed Olivia Smith, playing as a striker rather than her regular position on the wing, to score what proved to be the winner after 17 minutes. The Canada international shook off Rebecca Knaak, who seemingly gave up a little too easily in her pursuit, to weave around goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita and finish into the empty net.
– Stream LIVE Women’s Super League matches on ESPN+ (U.S.)
– WSL’s biggest winners and losers of the January transfer window
– NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo joins Chelsea Women ownership group
For a team that gets significant joy on the ball and relies heavily on possession for that style of play to be effective, City were suffocated by Arsenal’s press. It quashed their ability to enact the game plan that has been so effective in their unbeaten run since their last loss in September at Chelsea.
Alessia Russo, dropping into the midfield to allow Smith to play more centrally, forced veteran defensive midfielder Yui Hasegawa into small pockets and tight spaces. By removing City’s lynchpin, the visitors couldn’t play through the middle and were forced to look at other avenues. But as City tried to force the ball out wide the Arsenal fullbacks, Katie McCabe in particular, were inverting, putting added pressure on Kerolin, making it significantly harder to build attacks.
Arsenal coach Renée Slegers’ tactical nous proved fundamental to unravelling City’s effectiveness. They are the only team to have sussed out the league leaders and found the formula to get the upper hand.
The hosts had a couple of second-half scares. First, Mariona Caldentey clumsily brought down Lauren Hemp from behind on the edge of the box. City called for a free kick, and thought the Spain international deserved a red card for the challenge, but referee Melissa Burgin declined to give either.
Then former Gunners striker Vivianne Miedema did have the small contingent of travelling fans at the Emirates thinking she had scored an equaliser, but a soft foul on McCabe by the Netherlands international meant the whistle was blown before the subsequent strike had hit the back of the net. Since a 0-0 stalemate with Manchester United, the 2-0 victory over Chelsea and the capture of the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup — earning them the title of world champions to add to their European crown — have given Arsenal a new lease of life.
“We come away from the Chelsea win, very happy, very pleased, clean sheets and winning away,” Slegers said postmatch. “And then we have the Champions Cup, where we win. So there’s two really positive moments for us as a team.
“The challenge is to stay in the controlled middle, not too high, not too low, especially not too high after those moments. And then we have a week to prepare to play against the number one in the table, City, who have been so good — a lot of respect for how they’ve performed so far in the season.”
Perhaps the winter break was exactly what Arsenal needed. They look rejuvenated and galvanised compared to the lacklustre figures that trudged across the pitch at the end of 2025. They’ve now taken seven points from the top three in their last three WSL games.
“We have three clean sheets in the WSL now against top opposition. Now it’s about staying here, working really hard to stay here, keep developing and keep on pushing for as much as we can rest of the season.
“I think there’s a lot of things going into why we’re doing well at the moment. We also want to write it down, make it specific, make it tangible, because then we know what it is, and we can keep it going.”
This result adds further pressure on Chelsea, who, in the week when The Blues were sparked by back-to-back losses to Arsenal 2-0 and then the 5-1 humbling by City, backed Sonia Bompastor with a new contract until 2030 — replacing the deal which was due to expire in 2028. It does not alleviate all their problems, and the risk of fracture between manager and club still lingers.
Arsenal clinching all three points over City gives the Gunners a boost in their hopes of finishing in the top three, but adds significant pressure to Chelsea, who could now finish outside of Champions League qualification for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
It is not disastrous for City, who have given themselves enough of a cushion to afford a loss, even two if they are unable to bounce back.
“I don’t think [the loss] is going to affect the players,” City manager Andrée Jeglertz said afterward. “We are fully aware of the situation we are in, and we are still in a very good position in the league. We still have confidence in what we have done so far, and it’s important how you analyse this game and move on as quickly as possible, but I’m not worried about the future.”
Having been the side in control for almost all of the season, charging ahead on points — even with this loss, they are eight points clear of second-placed Manchester United, and with a goal difference of +41 — City’s inability to break through was compounded by an unfamiliar frustration that likely hasn’t been felt under Jeglertz’s leadership and not since the ending of last season.
Providing this result does not lead to a calamitous panic behind the scenes and begins what would be the biggest collapse in WSL history, City remain in the driving seat, and it is still their title to lose.
