Lauren Hemp looked to have moved the Cityzens to within a point of the title, but Stina Blackstenius' late double brought the Blues back into the race
The Women's Super League title race is right back on after Manchester City's shocking collapse at home to Arsenal. Gareth Taylor's charges were 1-0 up with 88 minutes on the clock on Sunday, but somehow lost the game after Stina Blackstenius scored two goals in two minutes to secure all three points for a Gunners side who, in essence, had nothing to play for.
However, they had the motivation to come from behind and do London rivals Chelsea a huge favour, with the Blues now knowing that they can still win the WSL if they win all of their final three games. They will need to wrestle back some goal difference in the process, but will back themselves to do that given the talent in their squad.
It all started quite well for Man City. Leila Ouahabi could've broken the deadlock very early on, Lauren Hemp then did so instead with 17 minutes on the clock and Chloe Kelly had a big chance to double that lead too, only to fail to generate the power on her shot that she would've liked. But their performance in the second half was totally different as City let Arsenal take control before they eventually, dramatically, turned the game around, took the lead and snatched all three points.
Gunners boss Jonas Eidevall said it was none of his business that his team had done Chelsea a huge favour in the title race, but that was exactly the case. Arsenal's London rivals had gifted City the upper hand when they lost at Liverpool four days ago, and they've now thrown that advantage away. On the final day, in two weeks time, these two sides could well be level on points at the top of the WSL, preparing for a straight shootout to win the title.
GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from the Joie Stadium…
GettyWINNER: Emma Hayes
On Wednesday night, after her team's incredible 4-3 defeat in stoppage-time at Liverpool, Chelsea boss Emma Hayes declared the title race over. Man City needed just four points from their final two games to be crowned champions of England and they were on a record-equalling 14-match winning streak in the WSL. She was staring down the barrel at a farewell season that featured not a single trophy.
But that all changed in just two minutes on Sunday afternoon. The situation went from one where City needed only to draw at Aston Villa on the final day, to one where they probably need to win. It's still in Chelsea's hands, if they can wrestle the goal difference back, which is a remarkable turn of events.
AdvertisementLOSER: Alex Greenwood
Alex Greenwood has had a superb season. The England defender has been an absolute rock at the back for Man City throughout this title charge and has been crucial to all the good things they do on the ball too, such is her ability in possession.
On Sunday, she was solid again, was dominant in her duels to keep Alessia Russo quiet and was great in City's build-up play. But her lapse in concentration in stoppage-time, to allow Blackstenius to get away from her and head home the winning goal, was so costly.
What made it all the more surprising was just how unlike Greenwood it was. For a player who has been the model of consistency all season to fall short in that moment made it all the more cruel.
WINNER: Stina Blackstenius
Following Russo's arrival, Stina Blackstenius has spent a lot of this season on the outside looking in, struggling for game time as Arsenal's starting centre-forward. However, when she has been given opportunities, she's scored huge goals, and on Sunday she scored two more.
The Swede showed great goal-scoring instincts to prod home the equaliser while her movement for the winner was superb, as was her connection with Kim Little's perfect cross. There is definitely room for her in this starting XI alongside Russo, and it is Jonas Eidevall's task to figure out how that works best.
Getty ImagesLOSER: Khadija Shaw
As Khadija Shaw limped onto the pitch at the Joie Stadium on Sunday to take part in the farewell ceremony for Man City's iconic captain Steph Houghton, she must have been cursing the foot injury that had reduced her to the role of a fan for the final few games of this season.
There were several crosses that went into the box on Sunday that the Cityzens' striker would've finished brilliantly, but the team was playing without a proper No.9 because of Shaw's season-ending surgery. They lacked a focal point, someone who could clinically convert the few opportunities that were created, with them never looking close to killing the game off.
That ultimately came back to haunt them in the final minutes as Blackstenius' double changed everything. It's a total hypothetical, but had City had Shaw available, you'd think the outcome would've been different. They missed her dearly.
