Comeback queens and Hemp heroics: City’s Arsenal triumph in numbers | OneFootball

Manchester City came out on top in a thrilling Barclays Women’s Super League clash against Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

The Blues twice came from behind to eventually earn a 4-2 victory and maintain our 100% start to the WSL campaign heading into the first international break.

A Lauren Hemp brace, stunning Kerstin Casparij effort and late Bunny Shaw strike were enough to ensure we earned all three points in a thrilling contest.

It’s a clash that City fans won’t forget in a hurry, with some impressive stats and facts telling the story of the win below…

Comeback queens

After City turned things around to beat Liverpool 4-2 in September, Andrée Jeglertz spoke about his team ‘refusing to lose’.

It was a similar story against Arsenal, with the Blues turning a 2-1 deficit around in the final 30 minutes at the Etihad Stadium.

City have won more points from losing positions than any other side in the WSL this season, and only Tottenham Hotspur have scored more second half goals than our ten so far in 2026/27.

Spurs’ tally was also bolstered by scoring seven after the break in their win over Crystal Palace last month.

Just like last season, the WSL champions are finding a way to win.

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Goalscorers

City’s goalscoring heroes on the night were Hemp, Casparij and Shaw, with the former’s brace taking her personal tally up to four in six games this season.

Hemp has now scored seven WSL goals against Arsenal, her joint-highest tally against any opponent in the competition.

Casparij’s equaliser, meanwhile, came just 70 seconds after she came off the bench – the fastest goal by a City substitute in WSL history, surpassing the previous record held by Toni Duggan since April 2016 by a single second.

Shaw, meanwhile, already has five goals in as many WSL matches as she looks to extend her own record of three successive Golden Boots. The Jamaican is currently finding the net on average every 78 minutes she’s on the pitch.

Statement

It’s no secret that Arsenal have endured a difficult start to the campaign, but City were under no illusions about the quality of our opponents at the Etihad.

The Gunners more than played their part in the contest, twice taking the lead in a topsy-turvy bout before City ultimately pulled clear.

Ayaka Yamashita even had to make seven saves – the most by a City goalkeeper in a WSL game since Ellie Roebuck in December 2019.

But the Blues prevailed, meaning Arsenal lost after scoring the opening goal in a WSL match for the first time since February 2024 – a run of 37 games without defeat.

Less than 72 hours

Well, 66 hours and 39 minutes to be precise… that’s the amount of time between the final whistle going at the Joie Stadium in our 1-1 draw with Real Madrid and kick-off at the Etihad against Arsenal.

Jeglertz made three changes from the side who earned a point against Las Blancas, with six players involved in the full 90 minutes of each contest.

Nonetheless, City weathered an Arsenal storm early in the second half to ultimately pull clear in the latter stages and claim a fifth successive WSL win.