We finished second in the Barclays Women’s Super League with a 4-3 win at home to Manchester United on Saturday.
Chloe Kelly got us off to a perfect start at Emirates Stadium but Ella Toone equalised just 11 minutes later.
The game was won in style in the second half thanks to goals from Mariona Caldentey, Frida Maanum and Kim Little.
Elisabeth Terland netted United’s second and Le Tissier got their third from the penalty spot, but we held on for all three points in front of 46,603 supporters.
what happened
It took just two minutes for us to open the scoring, Phallon Tullis-Joyce spilling an Alessia Russo cross and Kelly lifting the ball over the United goalkeeper with her left foot.
The roles were almost reversed as Kelly’s cross was headed wide by Russo, before Manuela Zinsberger was forced into a brilliant save at the other end, diving up to her left to deny Grace Clinton’s curling effort from the edge of the D.
But it was from the following corner that United pulled one back, Maya Le Tissier heading the ball back across goal for Toone to nod into the bottom left.
On the half-hour mark, Frida Maanum fired narrowly wide of the bottom left on her 150th Arsenal appearance after United failed to clear the danger from a Kelly cross, and Kim Little then raced forward to find Maanum, but her side-footed effort was too soft to trouble Tullis-Joyce.
United had a couple of opportunities to take the lead with half-time approaching, but both were squandered as Toone and Melvine Malard got in each other’s way, before Celin Bizet saw her cross sail onto the bar and over.
Kelly tried her luck from distance but Tullis-Joyce was equal to it on the brink of half-time, before Mariona played the ball through to Caitlin Foord, who took aim towards the near post, only for the shot to be parried behind for a corner. Nothing came of it though and we went into the break level.
Just like the first half, we got off to a flying start in the second 45 minutes, as Foord was fouled in the penalty area by Clinton and Mariona made the spot-kick look easy, slotting into the bottom right corner to restore our lead.
A well worked one-two between McCabe and Maanum then saw our Norwegian forward curl the ball into the bottom right corner, kissing the badge in celebration of our third.
We had another penalty shout moments later when Bizet handled the ball, but the referee didn’t award a spot-kick.
The fourth goal did come just three minutes later though, as Kelly played the ball inside to Little in the 18-yard box, who nestled it into the bottom left with aplomb.
United made it 4-2 in the 70th minute as Terland’s shot deflected off of Steph Catley to wrong-foot Zinsberger, before we made a double change with Beth Mead and Lia Walti coming on for Kelly and Maanum.
It was game on again moments later when Le Tissier scored from the penalty spot after McCabe had fouled Bizet in the area.
We made two further changes in the 88th minute, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Stina Blackstenius coming on for McCabe and Mariona.
Laia Codina came on in the seventh minute of added time for Emily Fox as we saw out the win.
what it means
We finish second in the WSL on 48 points, four points ahead of United.
Although Russo didn’t score against her former side, her 12 goals in the WSL this season were enough to secure the Golden Boot.
what's next
We've got a Champions League final to get ready for! The season comes to a close when we battle Barcelona for the ultimate prize in Lisbon on Saturday, May 24.
line-ups
Arsenal: Zinsberger, Fox (Codina 90+7), Williamson, Catley, Mariona (Blackstenius 88), Little (C), McCabe (Wubben-Moy 88), Maanum (Walti 72), Kelly (Mead 72), Foord, Russo
Substitutes: Williams, Nighswonger, Cooney-Cross, Pelova
Manchester United: Tullis-Joyce, Le-Tissier, Janssen, Turner, Sandberg (Terland 46), Miyazawa (Awujo 89), Clinton, Bizet, Toone (Naalsund 71), Galton, Malard
Substitutes: Rendell, George, Middleton-Patel, Griffiths, Hill
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