City extend winning streak with dramatic Arsenal triumph | OneFootball

City extended our winning streak to five straight matches with an enthralling 3-2 Barclays Women's Super League win over Arsenal at the Joie Stadium.

Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw broke the deadlock in the first half with a bullet header which represented her fourth WSL league goal of the season.

Although Mariona Caldentey equalised soon after the interval, Kerstin Casparij restored our lead when showing her poacher’s instinct inside the six-yard box.

However, Chloe Kelly’s unstoppable strike from range again levelled the scores and a draw looked likely before Iman Beney drilled home her first for the Club on the cusp of stoppage time.

It means Andrée Jeglertz’s side have moved to second in the table as the Swede's superb start to life at the Blues helm continued.

WHAT HAPPENED

With world-class players aplenty on the field, perhaps it was unsurprising a fast start was the order of the day at a sodden Joie Stadium with both teams looking dangerous in the opening exchanges.

After Vivianne Miedema came close twice only to be denied by Daphne van Domselaar, Arsenal grew into proceedings with a spell of sustained pressure.

But against the run of play, Jeglertz’s side lit the sky-blue touch paper when Aoba Fujino battled through a crowd of bodies before teeing up Casparij on the right, with her cross headed home by Shaw for her 95th City goal.

The Blues then thought we had doubled our lead when Casparij collected the ball behind the Arsenal defence before slotting home after combining with Bunny – but the assistant adjudged the defender to have strayed into an offside position and the goal was chalked off.

City were then dealt a further blow seconds after the interval when Caldentey squeezed an effort in at the near post to equalise for Arsenal.

Undeterred by the set back, the hosts searched for a second and found it on the hour mark when a deep corner was headed back across goal by Bunny, before the ball ricocheted off Casparij and found the net.

Ayaka Yamashita then made a heroic save with 20 minutes remaining to keep Stina Blackstenius at bay, but the visitors did find another leveller in the closing stages when Kelly curled into the top corner from range.

With the clock ticking towards stoppage time a draw grew in likelihood before City sprung forward and Bunny teed up Beney, who fizzed low into the net to lift the roof off the Joie as we sealed three sweet points.

TAKING FLIGHT

Casparij and Fujino further strengthened their relationship down the right flank for City during the heavyweight bout with the duo vital to the hosts in every third of the pitch.

This was perfectly reflected in our opener when the Japan international battled fiercely to keep the move alive before Casparij crossed for Bunny to head home.

WELL PLAYED, JADE

In what was her first WSL start since our narrow opening day defeat to Chelsea, Jade Rose was again tested against one of the fiercest attacks in world football.

But she rose to the challenge excellently and delivered a masterful, composed display filled with tough tackles and precise passing.

Another excellent showing of her potential by the Canada international.

SET-PLAYS

Throughout the 2025/26 campaign so far, City have constantly threatened from set-plays and against Arsenal we made it count.

After hitting the bar from a corner in the first half, Casparij's strike came from a viciously whipped flag kick which brought our second of the afternoon. Practice makes perfect.

WHAT IT MEANS

The precious win at the Joie Stadium means we have extended our winning streak to five straight matches in all competitions.

As a result, we now have 12 points from five WSL games and sit second in the table.

HOW WE LINED UP

City XI: Yamashita, Casparij, Rose, Greenwood (C), Fujino, Blindkilde Brown (Lohmann 90'), Hasegawa, Ouahabi, Miedema (Coombs 76'), Clinton (Beney 58'), Shaw.

Unused substitutes: Keating, Layzell, Wienroither, Prior, Thomas, Adedini.

Arsenal XI: Van Domselaar, Fox, Wubben-Moy, Catley, McCabe, Little (C) (Maanum 80'), Caldentey (Cooney-Cross 80'), Pelova (Blackstenius 69'), Smith (Kelly 69'), Foord (Mead 68'), Russo.

Unused substitutes: Zinsberger, Reid, Codina, Hinds.

UP NEXT

City's next assignment is a trip to Liverpool on Sunday 12 October, with kick-off at Anfield scheduled for 16:45 (UK).