Arsenal reignite WSL title hopes with win over Man City, Chelsea stay top

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Arteta: We can compete against anyone

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said "it was a great day" following his sides 5-1 demolishing of Manchester City at the Emirates.

Updated: Feb 2, 2025, 04:37 pm

(Adds quotes, details of late game)

MANCHESTER, England, Feb 2 (Reuters) - A 78th-minute goal from Arsenal striker Stina Blackstenius gave her side a thrilling 4-3 victory away to Manchester City after a ding-dong battle on Sunday that revived the Gunners' slim title hopes, but Chelsea remain top after a 1-0 win over Aston Villa.

Chelsea, who beat Arsenal a week ago in a serious blow to the Gunners' league ambitions, are seven points clear of second-placed Manchester United, who kept up the pressure thanks to a 1-0 over Tottenham Hotspur in Sunday's late kickoff.

Arsenal's win moved them past Manchester City and into third spot on 27 points, three behind Manchester United, while City are two points further back in fourth following a rip-roaring encounter in the first game of the day.

Mariona Caldentey got the Gunners off to a flying start with a goal after 42 seconds, and seven minutes later the visitors were two up when defender Lotte Wubben-Moy headed home a free kick.

Mary Fowler grabbed the first of her two goals for City in the 20th minute, heading home from close range at the back post and five minutes after the break Vivianne Miedema levelled amid a frenetic start to the second half.

A minute later Frida Maanum put Arsenal back in front, but the visitors' joy was short-lived as Steph Catley was adjudged to have brought down Aoba Fujino and despite the contact appearing to happen outside the box, the referee awarded a penalty that Fowler fired home to make it 3-3.

City brought on striker Khadija Shaw as they chased a winner, but it was Sweden international Blackstenius who grabbed the glory, making up for a number of misses by slamming home Beth Mead's pass to secure a well-deserved win for Arsenal.

With nine league games to go, Arsenal goal-scorer Caldentey said her side were pleased to bounce back after losing to Chelsea.

"We needed a win today after what happened last week, we want to be on the top and to try and win every game," she told Sky Sports.

In Birmingham, Chelsea faced one of the sterner tests of their season so far against a dogged Aston Villa, and despite fielding a side full of firepower, the Londoners needed an 82nd-minute own goal from Villa's Sarah Mayling to wrap up the three points.

At the other end of the 12-team table, bottom side Crystal Palace grabbed a much needed point in a 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion, while 11th-placed Leicester City suffered a 4-1 defeat away to Everton.

On the other side of Merseyside, Liverpool's Leanne Kiernan got the only goal of the game as the Reds beat West Ham United 1-0. (Reporting by Philip O'Connor, editing by Ed Osmond, Toby Davis and Pritha Sarkar)