Stina Blackstenius’ late objective noticed Arsenal edge Manchester Metropolis 4-3 in a Ladies’s Tremendous League thriller.
In a rollercoaster of a sport, Arsenal held on for all three factors in a end result that reinforces their hopes of securing a top-three end and a spot in subsequent season’s Ladies’s Champions League.
For Metropolis, defeat sees them drop out of the highest three and it ends a turbulent week, throughout which Chloe Kelly accomplished a dramatic mortgage transfer to Arsenal earlier than the switch window closed.
The Gunners made the proper begin to the sport, racing right into a two-goal lead inside eight minutes.
Mariona Caldentey opened the scoring after dispossessing Laia Aleixandri earlier than Lotte Wubben-Moy punished but extra poor defending from Metropolis to move residence Kyra Cooney-Cross’ free kick.
After a disastrous begin, Aoba Fujino was Man Metropolis’s vibrant spark and he or she helped the house aspect get again within the sport, crossing for Mary Fowler to drag a objective again earlier than the break.
Metropolis had been again on degree phrases straight after the interval, former Gunner Vivianne Miedema capitalising on some poor defensive work from Arsenal earlier than firing previous Daphne van Domselaar.
Parity lasted only a minute as Caldentey picked out Frida Maanum, and the Norwegian fired a low end previous Khiara Keating to revive the Gunners’ lead.
The drama continued to come back as Metropolis had been lucky to get again on degree phrases once more. Arsenal defender Steph Catley was adjudged to have pulled down Fujino within the penalty space by referee Cheryl Foster, however replays urged the infringement really came about outdoors the field.
Fowler transformed from the spot to degree the sport once more however there was one last twist as Blackstenius transformed Beth Mead’s inch-perfect cross to seal a giant win for Renee Slegers’ aspect.