Over 40,000 people packed out Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening as we fell to our first defeat of the season against Manchester United.
Goals from Frida Maanum and Laura Wienroither weren't enough to stop the visitors from beating us on home soil, as we were undone by two late set pieces.
What happened
The visitors dominated possession in the opening phase, looking dangerous on the break and forcing Manuela Zinsberger to make an early save from a Leah Galton shot across the goal.
In the last fifteen minutes of the half, we eased into a more familiar attacking rhythm in the final third, with Beth Mead nearly finding Caitlin Foord in space in the box.
However, just as we were beginning to find a way into the match, Ella Toone pocketed a goal for the visitors at the far post just before the half-time whistle.
It didn’t take long for us to bring the score level. Less than 60 seconds after the restart, Frida Maanum bagged the equaliser and her fourth WSL goal this season - her shot from outside the box receiving a generous deflection to beat Mary Earps.
Our Gunners continued to build on our new-found momentum and took the lead after 73 minutes, as Katie McCabe’s beautifully weighted cross found Laura Wienroither ready and waiting in the six-yard box. Her rocket into the net marked her first goal in the league and her first goal for The Arsenal.
United's potency from set-pieces proved to be our Achilles' heel, however. Millie Turner's header in the 85th minute hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced over the line.
Zinsberger denied two late chances from the Red Devils but we were undone once again from a set piece as Alessia Russo scored from a corner in the 90th minute in heartbreaking fashion.
What it means
Despite the defeat, our Gunners remain top of the WSL table on goal difference ahead of United and Chelsea.
We're back in action on Thursday evening for a Champions League group-stage tie against Juventus.
Team news
Arsenal: Zinsberger (GK), Wienroither, Wubben-Moy, Catley, McCabe, Walti, Nobbs (C) (Miedema, 58), Maanum, Mead (Agyemang, 98), Foord (Beattie, 90), Blackstenius
Unused substitutes: Marckese (GK), Maritz, Reid, Earl, Iwabuchi
Manchester United: Earps (GK), Batlle, Le Tissier, Turner, Blundell, Zelem, Parris (Thomas, 79), Ladd, Toone, Galton (Garcia, 72), Russo
Unused substitutes: Baggaley (GK), Thorisdóttir, Moore, Boe Risa, Tounkara, Staniforth, Williams
Copyright 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
