How Arsenal turned a corner at Manchester City and what it means for WSL title race

After a run of five defeats in six matches, Arsenal’s season needed a positive turning point, and they certainly found one in the form of a morale-boosting stoppage-time equaliser from United States star Tobin Heath away at rivals Manchester City. More significantly, it came at the end of their best performance of 2022 so far.

And given how aggrieved Arsenal had been about the manner of the controversial goal they had conceded earlier in a tense second half, their late leveller after rallying will have felt all the sweeter, serving to galvanise the group further and inject new energy into their title bid after a concerning downturn in form.

A change in body language

Their previous league fixture, a dismal 2-0 loss away against Birmingham, was a very rare occasion where it was possible to question the level effort the north Londoners were displaying, in a game where they were out-battled, beaten to every second ball generally looked flat.

The opposite was true at the Academy Stadium and, although it be unfair on Manchester City to suggest that Arsenal were the stronger side on Sunday, after what was a close-fought contest that probably ultimately ended up with the right result, Arsenal looked much more like their usual selves in terms of intensity, urgency and pace on the ball.

And in terms of the aggression and desire that had arguably been lacking at St Andrew’s, plus the attacking cohesion that was missing in December’s 3-0 FA Cup final loss to Chelsea, it was all there in abundance from both teams, on a night where seven players were booked across the two sides and nobody held back in their challenges, and in the final third the visitors eventually forced a way through.

Williamson and Wubben-Moy return to boost their childhood club

Leah Williamson had suffered a hamstring injury in November - missing the cup final - while her fellow England centre-half and fellow Arsenal fan Lotte Wubben-Moy missed Wednesday’s League Cup loss to Manchester United with a knock, but both returned to the starting line-up on Sunday to good effect, bringing a sense of calm and control to the visitors in the second half.

Williamson’s pin-point diagonal balls to pick out Beth Mead in a wide position or to find Jordan Nobbs in space were also a welcome return for Eidevall from an attacking point of view, but the north Londoners also cut down on their individual errors, justifying the decision to leave centre-backs Jen Beattie and Simone Boye on the bench.

Eidevall replaced Williamson at half-time with new signing Rafaelle Souza, but he explained that was deliberate to try and nurture the Arsenal academy product back to full fitness carefully, saying: “She played 30 minutes on Wednesday and 45 minutes today, which is a quick turnaround. We didn’t expect her to return this early, so that’s really well done from her and the medical staff. Leah isn’t injured, we knew before that she couldn’t play for 90 minutes, we [have to] check with every player and she started to get tired so we decided to sub her.”

An encouraging debut performance from Rafaelle Souza

As for Souza, who joined Arsenal last Tuesday after her previous deal at Chinese club Changchun Zhuoyue expired, it was a steady and impressive debut display in the second half, as she showed assertiveness in the air and did well on multiple occasions to outmuscle or out-pace Jamaica’s Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw.

An experienced, left-footed centre-back, the 30-year-old former Houston Dash and Palmeiras defender has been capped 33 times by Brazil and showed glimpses of why her acquisition on a free transfer could prove to be terrific business from Arsenal.

She might well look back and be disappointed that she was beaten by the pace and low flight of Lauren Hemp’s cross from the left which led to Shaw’s opening goal, but overall it was an encouraging 45 minutes and Eidevall said: “I am very, very impressed by Rafaelle’s debut.

“That was such a tough time to come on. For a central defender, it’s so relationship-based and the training time she has had has been so limited, I am very, very impressed by her performance and I told her that at full-time.”

Miedema’s liveliest display; Heath’s clinical finish

Arsenal’s Holland star Vivianne Miedema remains without a goal in four games since December 12, however, Sunday’s was her liveliest display since November’s win at Manchester United, which will have encouraged Arsenal fans.

The WSL’s all-time record scorer is out of contract this summer and wanted by Paris St-Germain and Barcelona, but is yet to rule out staying in north London. She had not looked her usual, peerless self in recent weeks, but there were signs of her abundant qualities at Manchester City, in a fascinating, high-quality battle with England defenders Steph Houghton and Alex Greenwood.

Eidevall’s team are also far stronger for the return from injury of Heath, whose clinical finish was an example of her class and composure in front of goal. It was a goal that kept Arsenal’s six-point advantage over their fifth-placed opponents Manchester City intact and, with Gareth Taylor’s team having played an extra game, it could go a long way towards ensuring Arsenal finish above Manchester City this season, something they’ve managed only once since 2014.

What does it mean in the title race?

It also meant Arsenal are two points clear of second-placed Manchester United at the WSL’s summit, having played one match fewer than Marc Skinner’s in-form team. The other boost for Arsenal came earlier on Sunday, when defending champions Chelsea were held to a goalless draw away at Brighton.

But Emma Hayes’s side remain just four points behind, in third, and they have an additional game in hand. The entire top six are separated by just seven points, in what is undoubtedly the most competitive race for the three European places that the WSL has seen.

From being the unbeaten pace-setters who had looked imposing, imperious and seemingly unstoppable at the end of November, Arsenal’s lead at the top is now fairly slender, yes. But their destiny remains in their own hands, and in battling back at the Academy Stadium they will hope they have put their winter slump behind them.