Arsenal response after Man City goal shows title credentials ahead of season-defining clash

Arsenal had been here before. With time running out at the Emirates, the Gunners found themselves staring down the barrel of a costly defeat that would stall their fledgling Women's Super League (WSL) title charge before it had even truly begun.

This time, it was not Liverpool - their conquerors on the opening day of last season - who were on their way to victory in north London but Manchester City, ahead thanks to goals from Jess Park and, inevitably, Vivianne Miedema. The latter had equalised for the visitors after a well-taken opener from Frida Maanum; her deflected finish a dagger to the heart of the Arsenal fans who had so revered her before her headline-grabbing summer transfer to the Joie Stadium.

Miedema, who scored 126 goals in 173 appearances across seven years with the Gunners, also had a part to play in City's second, setting in motion a slick move which culminated in Park unleashing a fearsome strike into the back of the opposition net. There was a sense of irony, then, that it was Beth Mead - Miedema's longtime partner - who came to Arsenal's rescue.

The pair had - to the exasperation of many women's football fans - been conspicuously pitted against each other in some broadcasters' pre-match promotional graphics. And Mead made sure to seize her moment in the spotlight, scoring just 18 minutes after her introduction from the bench to grab Arsenal a crucial late point to kickstart their campaign.

In truth, the biggest winners of the afternoon were Chelsea, bidding to win a sixth consecutive title this term and a first under new head coach Sonia Bompastor. The Blues had done their business on Friday night, battling to narrow victory over Aston Villa to get the post-Emma Hayes era in the WSL off to a perfect start.

With three points already in the bag, Bompastor and her players will surely have been delighted to see their two main challengers from last season drop points. However, for Arsenal, there were plenty of positives to take from their stalemate with Gareth Taylor's side.

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"On expected goals (xG,) if we zoom out, we are the team with the better chances," manager Jonas Eidevall said after the game. "But they also had chances in the game and we showed incredible morale as a team in a difficult situation, being 2-1 down, and after that second goal we have a tough momentum against us for a first five or ten minute period but we managed that and turned it around."

Indeed, that Arsenal were able to summon the resilience to come from behind - particularly against a side who finished five points above them last season - is commendable. City looked to be in the ascendancy after Park's goal but the Gunners managed to weather the storm and stay in the game.

Eidevall was also right to highlight the superior nature of Arsenal's chances, with his side posting an xG tally of 2.47 compared to City's 1.3. Of course, many will argue that this metric counts for nothing if those chances are not converted and several Arsenal players, chiefly Stina Blackstenius and substitute Alessia Russo, were guilty of being profligate in front of goal.

However, it is encouraging that the Gunners were able to breach what was the meanest defence in the WSL last season so effectively. Then there is the fact that it was two substitutes who combined to help yield the equalising goal, with summer signing Rosa Kafaji's rebounded effort falling at the feet of goalscorer Mead.

Chelsea's strength in depth is often what has set them apart from their WSL rivals in recent years but the Gunners now boast one of the best-stocked squads in Europe - something that could prove decisive as they vie for silverware this term. "We have a really, really good squad," Eidevall said.

"We knew it was going to be a game that was most likely decided in the second half and I think that's how it played out. I think we managed the game well from a substitution perspective. We got on fresh legs and at the end of the day Rosa is involved hitting the post and Beth hits the rebound. It's two game-changers coming in for us and playing a key part in getting a result."

Certainly, Eidevall will need as many of his players as possible fit and firing if Arsenal are to realise their full potential this season. The Gunners have just a few days to prepare for the second leg of their Champions League qualifying tie with BK Hacken, with the Swedish side having won the first leg 1-0 in Gothenburg last week.

Progressing to the group stages of Europe's premier club competition should be the minimum expectation for a club of Arsenal's stature and, having failed to do so last term, the pressure is on Eidevall and his players to deliver at Meadow Park on Thursday. At the very least, the Gunners showed against City that they have both the quality and spirit to respond to adversity and they must be prepared to do so again if they harbour ambitions of crowning this season with major silverware.