Man City 4-2 Arsenal: WSL champions come from behind in thriller to ramp up pressure on Renee Slegers and the Gunners
Report and free match highlights as Manchester City continued their perfect start to the season by beating Arsenal 4-2 at the Etihad Stadium; City have won all five games to return to the top of the table, while Arsenal are 10 points further back with one league win all campaign
Sunday 4 October 2026 19:08, UK
Manchester City plunged Arsenal further into their early season crisis as the champions came from behind to win 4-2 in a Women's Super League thriller.
This was a real advert for the division at the Etihad Stadium - with quality goals, tactical chess-playing from both coaches and controversial moments. But the fall-out will surround how City are still top dogs, and whether Renee Slegers and Arsenal are still in this title fight.
The Gunners were the better team in the first half, with Slegers' side having the better opportunities as Lisa Baum, Emily Fox and Georgia Stanway all went close. It was Baum who gave Arsenal the lead late in the first half as she bundled home from close-range, but replays showed she may have been offside.
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Arsenal's lead lasted just three minutes, but City's leveller had a level of controversy to it too. Mariona Caldentey asked to come off and went down injured, but City played on. Thirty-five seconds later, Lauren Hemp forced an own goal off Emily Fox - with Arsenal furious the ball was not put out of play in a sporting gesture.
The second half continued as the first half ended - with drama. After Bunny Shaw - who also saw a first-half opener ruled out for a foul - ran through on goal, she took a heavy touch that allowed Anneke Borde to collect. Forty-five seconds later, Alessia Russo curled Arsenal ahead again after an error while playing out from the back by Ayaka Yamashita.
But the game would turn on its head again - with Arsenal's second-half defending and inability to hold onto a lead letting them down again. First, Kerstin Casparij took 65 seconds - and one touch - to come off the bench to curl a stunner into the far corner.
Then Hemp put City ahead for the first time as the Arsenal defence switched off, allowing her to finish at the far post after a great first touch to trap a ball over the top. Then Shaw got her customary goal late on as Arsenal committed bodies forward.
The pre-match talk surrounded the pressure Slegers and her team were under. Many claimed defeat would put Arsenal out of the Women's Super League title fight after just five games.
One win from the opening five games and 10 points behind the leaders in a 26-game league, they're further into the mire.
And with a long international break ahead, what is next for Slegers?
Watch the goals and read the key moments from Manchester
3: CHANCE! Arsenal get the first chance of the game as Baum's effort from inside the box is tipped behind by Ayaka Yamashita.
11: SAVE! Arsenal continue their promising start as Baum's cross is headed goalwards by Mariona Caldentey, but her effort is sabed again.
25: SAVE! First chance for Shaw to stretch her legs as her solo run sees her enter the box but her drive is straight at goalkeeper Anneke Borbe.
36: GOAL DISALLOWED! Shaw heads in at the back post but the Man City striker is rightly penalised for a foul on Borbe.
37: DOUBLE CHANCE! Fox draws a good save from Yamashita, then Stanway fires into the side netting from the resulting corner.
44: GOAL! Baum gives Arsenal the lead after prodding the ball over the line after Wubben-Moy's header is saved by Yamashita again. However, replays show the goalscorer could have been in an offside position.
45+1: GOAL! With Arsenal furious that City played on with Caldentey down injured, Hemp equalises as her effort goes in off a Fox deflection.
49: WHAT A CHANCE! Shaw breaks through for a one-on-one but takes a heavy touch that allows Borbe to gather at her feet.
50: GOAL! Yamashita's error when playing out the back allows Russo to curl Arsenal in front - 45 seconds after that poor Shaw touch.
62: GOAL! Casparij scores with her first touch - 65 seconds after coming on the pitch as a substitute - with a brilliant curler from distance.
67: BIG CHANCE! Shaw is inches away from tapping Mary Fowler's cross in the box but can't make contact.
72: GOAL! Hemp brilliantly controls a ball over the top and puts City ahead by poking the ball through Borde's legs.
78: CHANCE! Arsenal substitute Olivia Smith cuts inside in the area but can only fire straight at Yamashita.
84: GOAL! With Arsenal throwing bodies forward, City hit them on the break, allowing Shaw to roll the ball into the bottom corner.
Slegers: Arsenal are not in title conversation amid call for review
Arsenal boss Renee Slegers to Sky Sports:
"At the moment, we're not in the title race conversation, no.
"It's been a lot of games where we feel like we have it and then we don't. That's really pressing, demanding mentally. It's good the players go away, go to their national teams, get some new energy, change of environment and they'll come back and then we have the next game to prep for.
"There's a lot to review. How we've been doing things, from all aspects. Training programme, bigger things in the background. We're going to do everything we can to see where we can be better."
'Slegers should stay as Arsenal boss - but she needs to be brave'
Sky Sports' Izzy Christiansen at the Etihad Stadium: "I don't think Renee Slegers' situation should change.
"She's the head coach of Arsenal and she's an outstanding coach and manager. I don't think her position should be under any threat at all. It's clear the cohesion between her and the players.
"That midfield for Arsenal still doesn't quite look right. For me, Kyra Cooney-Cross has to be the one that's ever-present in there. Georgia Stanway has yet to find her feet but you can see the quality we all know she possesses. Kim Little keeps ticking but Renee Slegers is going to have to be brave with her selections going forward.
"It's looking like a two-horse race between Chelsea and Man City. Chelsea have had a superb start to the season as well, playing some superb football. I'm sure London City Lionesses will have something to say about that. They're going from strength to strength."
Rachel Corsie on Sky Sports: "The pressure is not just on Slegers, it's on the whole group.
"When you look at performances, I would say [against City] and against Chelsea they played with enough intensity, enough purpose.
"You can see from the players they are so disappointed with the outcome of today. They are under pressure because they are 10th in the table and that isn't good enough for this team, this squad, the expectations they put on themselves because of the club they are.
"Palace and United, the two draws there have been the beginning of what has now mounted as huge pressure. I think they've still got enough. It's not finished. They're not out of it. But it's an uphill battle from here."
