Arsenal WSL runners-up after resisting Manchester United fightback for 4-3 win

It was much nervy than it needed to beryllium but Arsenal secured a second-place decorativeness up of opponents Manchester United with the triumph successful a seven-goal thriller astatine a sunny Emirates Stadium.

A constituent would person been capable for the location squad to gain a spot successful the 3rd circular of qualifying for adjacent season’s Champions League but a three-goal vantage with 20 minutes remaining was reduced to 1 successful the abstraction of six minutes to support the jeopardy live and the ambiance among the 46,603 tense to the finish.

Manchester United skipper Maya Le Tissier had said Champions League shot was “all that matters” earlier the tie, but the visiting squad fought with the strength of a squad keen to debar the 3rd circular of qualifying and enactment successful a beardown show earlier their FA Cup last showdown with WSL champions, Chelsea.

For Arsenal, this was a accidental to crook things astir earlier a 2nd ever Champions League last successful Lisbon, aft 2 dense league defeats, to Aston Villa and Brighton, and they did so, their Emirates Stadium send-off successful afloat plaything astatine the last whistle.

The attraction earlier kick-off had been connected the location team’s goalkeeper, with archetypal prime shot-stopper Daphne van Domselaar unavailable done an ankle wounded determination were nerves astir the reliability of backup Manuela Zinsberger. However, it would beryllium Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who volition stock the aureate mitt with Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton aft the second kept a cleanable expanse against Liverpool to gully level with the former, that would marque a clanger successful the 2nd infinitesimal to springiness their rivals the lead, failing to clasp connected to Alessia Russo’s shot successful which allowed Chloe Kelly to pounce and occurrence into the bare net.

Maya Le Tissier blocks retired the sound aft she tucked distant her penalty. Photograph: Paul Harding/The FA/Getty Images

The mettle of the underfire Zinsberger would beryllium tested soon after, the Austrian rising to extremity Ella Toone’s goalbound onslaught from region implicit the bar. It was a assurance boosting leap but a infinitesimal aboriginal the visiting squad had the equaliser, a whipped successful country was headed backmost towards the adjacent station wherever an unmarked Toone was connected manus to motion in, Zinsberger got her fingertips to it but determination was small much she could do.

Arsenal retook the pb astir arsenic rapidly aft the interruption arsenic they had gone up initially, Grace Clinton tangling with Caitlin Foord successful the container and Mariona Caldentey coolly converting the resulting penalty, sending Tullis-Joyce the incorrect way.

Five minutes aboriginal and the Gunners had a two-goal vantage to assistance the tension, Frida Maanum collecting the shot from Katie McCabe earlier curling it into the acold station from a choky angle.

They should person had different punishment soon after, Celin Bizet astir pushing the shot distant with the thenar of her manus but the referee waved distant the furious protestations from players and assemblage alike. The location squad needn’t person worried, they had the 4th conscionable past the hr mark, Kelly moving hard earlier playing the shot to Kim Little who turned and powered the shot past Tullis-Joyce.

United reduced the shortage with 20 minutes remaining though, McCabe’s passed nether unit consecutive to Elizabeth Terland whose onslaught took a deflection disconnected Steph Catley to wrongfoot Zinsberger. The unit was heaped connected soon after, the referee pointing to the spot aft McCabe brought down Bizet and Le Tissier hammered it in.

Buoyed up by the reduced deficit, United piled connected the pressure, but the remainder of mean clip and 7 minutes added connected was not capable for them to implicit a singular turnaround.

The location squad secured the bragging rights, but determination volition beryllium concerns astir however easy United were capable to ascent backmost into the crippled with Arsenal cruising. Barcelona, who bushed Chelsea 8-2 connected aggregate successful the Champions League semi finals, await Renée Slegers’ broadside and volition airs a far, acold sterner test.