Arsenal stun Man Metropolis to spice up UWCL hopes, maintain WSL title race alive

LONDON, England — Arsenal‘s hopes of UEFA Ladies’s Champions League qualification subsequent season received a significant enhance on Sunday with a 1-0 victory over champions-elect Manchester Metropolis that has opened the door ajar on the Ladies’s Tremendous League (WSL) title race that many assumed was over final weekend.

Nothing within the WSL is ever set in stone. Metropolis’s first loss for the reason that opening weekend of the season proved that even after a 5-1 demolition job of reigning champions Chelsea — which led many to imagine the title race was executed and dusted — there may be nonetheless hope that Metropolis’s eight-point hole on the prime of the desk could possibly be closed.

Arsenal’s early strain and a reshuffled assault allowed Olivia Smith, enjoying as a striker slightly than her common place on the wing, to attain what proved to be the winner after 17 minutes. The Canada worldwide shook off Rebecca Knaak, who seemingly gave up a bit too simply in her pursuit, to weave round goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita and end into the empty web.

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For a workforce that will get important pleasure on the ball and depends closely on possession for that fashion of play to be efficient, Metropolis have been suffocated by Arsenal’s press. It quashed their capacity to enact the sport plan that has been so efficient of their unbeaten run since their final loss in September at Chelsea.

Alessia Russo, dropping into the midfield to permit Smith to play extra centrally, pressured veteran defensive midfielder Yui Hasegawa into small pockets and tight areas. By eradicating Metropolis’s lynchpin, the guests could not play by the center and have been pressured to take a look at different avenues. However as Metropolis tried to pressure the ball out extensive the Arsenal fullbacks, Katie McCabe particularly, have been inverting, placing added strain on Kerolin, making it considerably more durable to construct assaults.

Arsenal coach Renée Slegers’ tactical nous proved basic to unravelling Metropolis’s effectiveness. They’re the one workforce to have sussed out the league leaders and located the formulation to get the higher hand.

The hosts had a few second-half scares. First, Mariona Caldentey clumsily introduced down Lauren Hemp from behind on the sting of the field. Metropolis referred to as for a free kick, and thought the Spain worldwide deserved a pink card for the problem, however referee Melissa Burgin declined to present both.

Then former Gunners striker Vivianne Miedema did have the small contingent of travelling followers on the Emirates pondering she had scored an equaliser, however a tender foul on McCabe by the Netherlands worldwide meant the whistle was blown earlier than the next strike had hit the again of the web. Since a 0-0 stalemate with Manchester United, the 2-0 victory over Chelsea and the seize of the FIFA Ladies’s Champions Cup — incomes them the title of world champions so as to add to their European crown — have given Arsenal a brand new lease of life.

“We come away from the Chelsea win, very glad, very happy, clear sheets and profitable away,” Slegers mentioned postmatch. “After which we have now the Champions Cup, the place we win. So there’s two actually constructive moments for us as a workforce.

“The problem is to remain within the managed center, not too excessive, not too low, particularly not too excessive after these moments. After which we have now every week to arrange to play in opposition to the primary within the desk, Metropolis, who’ve been so good — lots of respect for the way they’ve carried out thus far within the season.”

Maybe the winter break was precisely what Arsenal wanted. They appear rejuvenated and galvanised in comparison with the lacklustre figures that trudged throughout the pitch on the finish of 2025. They’ve now taken seven factors from the highest three of their final three WSL video games.

“We have now three clear sheets within the WSL now in opposition to prime opposition. Now it is about staying right here, working actually arduous to remain right here, maintain growing and carry on pushing for as a lot as we are able to remainder of the season.

“I feel there’s lots of issues going into why we’re doing properly for the time being. We additionally wish to write it down, make it particular, make it tangible, as a result of then we all know what it’s, and we are able to maintain it going.”

This end result provides additional strain on Chelsea, who, within the week when The Blues have been sparked by back-to-back losses to Arsenal 2-0 after which the 5-1 humbling by Metropolis, backed Sonia Bompastor with a brand new contract till 2030 — changing the deal which was attributable to expire in 2028. It doesn’t alleviate all their issues, and the danger of fracture between supervisor and membership nonetheless lingers.

Arsenal clinching all three factors over Metropolis provides the Gunners a lift of their hopes of ending within the prime three, however provides important strain to Chelsea, who might now end exterior of Champions League qualification for the primary time for the reason that 2019-20 season.

It’s not disastrous for Metropolis, who’ve given themselves sufficient of a cushion to afford a loss, even two if they’re unable to bounce again.

“I do not suppose [the loss] goes to have an effect on the gamers,” Metropolis supervisor Andrée Jeglertz mentioned afterward. “We’re absolutely conscious of the scenario we’re in, and we’re nonetheless in an excellent place within the league. We nonetheless have faith in what we have now executed thus far, and it is essential the way you analyse this sport and transfer on as shortly as attainable, however I am not anxious in regards to the future.”

Having been the facet in management for nearly all the season, charging forward on factors — even with this loss, they’re eight factors away from second-placed Manchester United, and with a objective distinction of +41 — Metropolis’s incapability to interrupt by was compounded by an unfamiliar frustration that probably hasn’t been felt underneath Jeglertz’s management and never for the reason that ending of final season.

Offering this end result doesn’t result in a calamitous panic behind the scenes and begins what can be the most important collapse in WSL historical past, Metropolis stay within the driving seat, and it’s nonetheless their title to lose.