A meeting between last season’s Barclays Women’s Super League (BWSL) top two was never going to be dull.
Slotted in at a crucial juncture of the campaign, just before the first international break, the build-up to Manchester City vs Arsenal centred around two teams with wildly contrasting fortunes. Little changed in the post-match debrief.
This game epitomised the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. A 4-2 win for the champions underlined their title credentials, while Arsenal, already 10 points off the summit, will surely be adjusting their pre-season ambitions.
This was an enthralling, intriguing tussle in East Manchester. After an hour, the visitors seemed poised to return to the capital with all three points - and deservedly so. Leading 2-1 and with City out of sorts, this could quite easily have been an afternoon when the BWSL narrative shifted. Instead, the 2,500 away supporters poured out of the Etihad dejected, leaving the booming tones of Oasis behind them.
Ultimately, this was a tale of two attacks. One profligate, the other ruthless. The Gunners produced more shots, a higher expected goals (xG) and greater possession, but demonstrated a wasteful streak that has dogged their campaign so far.
Arsenal’s shot conversion rate of 4.3 percent is the lowest in the BWSL this season, even behind Everton, who prior to Sunday, hadn’t seen any of their players score a goal. In comparison, City’s stands at 16.5 percent.
“We all said it afterwards: we have to be better in the critical moments in the game,” Renee Slegers admitted post-match. “And we were there, we had it, and then we didn’t have it.”
Arsenal rank seventh for xG this season, yet have netted just four. And yet, remarkably, only Chelsea have managed more touches in the opposition box from the first five games, although that has led to just 11 ‘big chances’. Again, for reference, City have managed more than double.
That speaks to a side capable of progressing the ball effectively but are unable to pull the trigger at the right moment. Slegers’ possession-based style is providing control and a lack of cutting edge. Too often opponents are able to get players behind the ball and avert scoring opportunities.
On Sunday, Arsenal had six shots on target inside the box without scoring. For City? Zero.
Where City won this game
Andree Jeglertz earned all the plaudits at full-time, but for long spells his side did not sparkle. But when you have Lauren Hemp, perhaps it doesn’t matter.
Not for the first time this season, the winger was at the heart of City’s best moments. She equalised just before half-time, set up Kerstin Casparij in the second period, and then put the Blues ahead after 72 minutes when she audaciously nutmegged Anneke Borbe.
“Watching her play football is amazing,” said Andree Jeglertz after the game. “Not just what she is doing on the ball, but how hard she is working for the team, how she is contributing in a lot of things. She has definitely grown.”
Sunday’s virtuoso showing brings Hemp’s goal involvements up to six for the season, a tally no-one else has bettered. With the ever-reliable Bunny Shaw also on target, Jeglertz has two star names that offer a level of consistency other coaches can only dream of. Certainly that’s the case for Slegers.
Admittedly, she will be thrilled to see Alessia Russo back among the goals, with the 27-year-old netting a sublime curled effort on the back of her midweek Champions League strike. But after five games, only Lisa Baum has got into double figures for goals. Mariona Caldentey, Caitlin Foord, Olivia Smith, Chloe Kelly and Stina Blackstenius are yet to score at all.
While Arsenal’s patterns feel too methodical, City’s off-the-cuff, penetrative attacking bursts are routinely overwhelming opposition defences. The variety and speed is insatiable. Arsenal had conceded two before Sunday, yet trebled those numbers after 90 minutes at the Etihad.
Another decisive factor was the impact of the coaches’ substitutions. Casparij scored with her first touch after being introduced in the 62nd minute alongside Mary Fowler and Iman Beney. Those changes provided the impetus City needed. From there they dominated proceedings.
“I think you saw some fatigue in both teams coming in,” Slegers reflected. “So they made three changes, and I think they got an immediate effect with the shot from the edge.
“And then they’re back in. And I think there was a lot of momentum shifts when it comes to football, but also momentum shifts when it comes to energy in the game. Especially in the second half.”
The Dutch coach also acknowledged her side are lacking mental resilience and struggling to find late goals at present. She and her coaching team will undertake an extensive mid-season review during the break, and will hope to see a drastic improvement when Arsenal return with a North London derby. They need to find goals from somewhere.
City have no such concerns. At this stage, their only minor worry is a vulnerability in transition. But when you outscore the opposition each week, what does it matter?
