Man City 2-1 Arsenal: Caroline Weir delivers Women's Super League title blow to the Gunners

It looked to be a four-horse race for the WSL title. That was until Caroline Weir’s late goal gave Manchester City a 2-1 victory over Arsenal.

The Gunners were beaten by Manchester United in October, dropped points after conceding a late goal against Chelsea last month and have now been beaten by City in the league and FA Cup this season. 

Joe Montemurro admitted taking points against the big teams has become a mental block. ‘We had the opportunity to see out the game. We didn’t do it.’ His team will likely have to win every remaining game to stand a chance of becoming champions.

City, meanwhile, will have to start games quicker and get better at playing out from the back if they’re to stay in the mix with Manchester United and Chelsea.

The way Gareth Taylor’s side want to play is obvious, build from the back football with lots of neat passes then look to hit the wings. They rarely go long. Arsenal had predicted this and pressed high, forcing Keira Walsh into an uncharacteristic error for the opening goal.

Two games without scoring felt like a bit of a drought for Vivianne Miedema, such are the ridiculous standards the striker has set for herself. But she needed only two minutes to find the back of the net at the Academy Stadium, pouncing on Walsh’s loose pass to drill a shot into the bottom right corner from the edge of the area.

But Taylor’s side grew into the game after Arsenal’s quick start. Weir fired a shot over the bar 15 minutes in before Lauren Hemp did the same ten minutes later. Hemp was making her first start since picking up a hamstring injury in the Community Shield in August. 

Her return will have been pleasing for England manager Phil Neville who was watching on in the stands, though he might have wondered why Ellen White was also an onlooker in the first half.

In a match they needed to win, City left their joint top scorer on the bench and deployed Georgia Stanway as a false nine, a tactic that is yet to prove convincing. 

Stanway is better when she has a chance to run at players, she hasn’t quite got the poacher’s instinct of White and found herself closely marked by one of the best defenders in the league in Leah Williamson. White would likely have gambled on Weir’s dangerous cross in the 18th minute but no blue shirt made a run to the front post.

It was a set piece that got Taylor’s side back into the game. They’ve been strong from corners this season and the towering Sam Mewis rose highest to meet Chloe Kelly’s lofted delivery, beating Lydia Williams to nod the ball beyond the Arsenal goalkeeper. Williams was making only her second league start after signing in the summer and will feel she should have done better.

She was almost at fault for another mid-way through the second half when a misplaced clearance was intercepted by Weir. With the goalkeeper stranded, the midfielder’s long range effort looked destined for the back of the net but bounced inches wide. 

Taylor’s side had played Champions League football during the week but it was Arsenal who looked tired as the game wore on. A flurry of late corners caused panic in the box but the ball wouldn’t drop for any of the City players to fire home. 

A draw was looking ever more likely but Manchester United’s late winner at Reading and Chelsea’s victory over Brighton meant a point wasn’t really enough for either side.

Then came a moment of brilliance. Stanway robbed the ball from Lisa Evans on the edge of the box and her blocked shot came out to Weir who took one touch before firing the ball into the bottom left corner.

Arsenal are still a point ahead of City but the psychological scars of another late goal will be tough to recover from.