A late winner from Stina Blackstenius saw Arsenal scrape a 4-3 victory over Manchester City in the Women's Super League (WSL).
A rivalry sparked by the deadline-day loan transfer of Chloe Kelly, both Manchester City and Arsenal were eager to draw first blood at the Joie Stadium. The England forward wouldn't have the chance to make her mark on the blockbuster fixture, ineligible to play against her parent club as per the terms of her loan deal.
Third vs fourth in the Women's Super League (WSL) standings got off to a dramatic start, with the Gunners scoring two goals in the opening eight minutes. City were able to level through Mary Fowler and Vivianne Miedema, before a see-saw of events then brought proceedings back to 3-3 with 15 minutes to play.
A late winner from Blackstenius rounded off the seven-goal thriller in Manchester, with the Gunners able to secure all three points on the road.
The Cityzens now fall to fourth in the WSL standings, as Arsenal catapult themselves back into second place.
How the game unfolded
It was a fast start at the Joie Stadium as the Gunners broke the deadlock after just 42 seconds. City did little to shake off the defensive woes of recent weeks as Laia Aleixandri coughed up possession on the outside of the area, and Mariona Caldentey capitalised on the blunder to slot home into the bottom-left corner.
The hosts did little to weather the red and white storm as Arsenal doubled their advantage in the eighth minute. An exceptional free-kick delivery from Kyra Cooney-Cross located Lotte Wubben-Moy, who towered over City goalkeeper Khiara Keating to head home.
The fans in attendancw were treated to an action-packed opening 20 minutes as the Cityzens pulled one back quickly. Aoba Fujino brushed off her marker before curling a cross toward the back-post to be met by Mary Fowler, who made no mistake in heading in.
Despite conceding early on, it was City who dictated the possesion for the remainder of the first half. A fleeting opportunity came the way of the Gunners as Cooney-Cross palmed off a searching pass into the area, but Alessia Russo's strike was comfortably kept out by Keating.
Vivianne Miedema looked lively as the half ticked on, finding herself with time inside of the central areas, and she dragged an effort just wide of the left post. The Dutch striker reaped the rewards of her efforts in the opening minutes of the second half, though, stealing possession inside of the box before burying a strike into the back of the net.
It took the Gunners just 60 seconds to regain their advantage, as Frida Maanum out-muscled Leila Ouhuabi inside of the box before finding the bottom-left corner with precision.
A potential taker for game of the season endured another twist just minutes later as Steph Catley's foul on Fujino saw the hosts awarded a penalty. Replays would suggest that the contact happened a metre outside of the area, but nonetheless it was Fowler who stepped up to convert the penalty and bring the scores back level.
City boss Gareth Taylor desperately attempted to inject some firepower from the bench in the form of Khadija Shaw and Kerolin, but they failed to capitalise on their possession. In the end, a brilliant delivery from Beth Mead split the Cityzens open at the back, and Stina Blackstenius tapped in on the goal-line to seal a famous win.
Player ratings
Check out the player ratings from Man City 3-4 Arsenal here.
City's defensive woes show no sign of abating
Ever since Man City captain Alex Greenwood underwent surgery on her knee, the defensive capabilities of Taylor's side have continued to falter. Exposed at the Etihad Stadium by neighbourhood rivals Man Utd, it took Arsenal just 42 seconds to expose the same flaws.
Mariona Caldentey picked the pocket of Laia Aleixandri before slotting home the opener with ease. Such defensive errors are not just a one-off, rather a pattern that has been developing for weeks. The Manchester derby saw Taylor's side wave the white flag in desperation, as the Red Devils capitalised on three ghastly blunders.
City are suffering from the absence of Greenwood, and the opening eight minutes at Joie Stadium proved just that. Defensive depth is an area that the Cityzens have struggled with for seasons and a refusal to address the issue in transfer market is doing continued harm.
Rebecca Knaak's winter arrival bandaged the loss of Alanna Kennedy, and a deadline day acquisition of Laura Wienroither on loan from the Gunners will have fans praying that those deals will be enough to bolster this struggling City side.
Russo on the wing a failed experiment
An injury to Caitlin Foord meant that the Gunners were thin on the ground in the wide areas, resulting in Renee Slegers's decision to deploy Alessio Russo on the right-wing with Blackstenius leading the line.
Despite being handed several opportunities to write her name on the scoresheet, Blackstenius failed to capitalise in front of goal on more than one occasion. With a striker like Russo in such firing form, the decision to isolate her in the widea areas was the primary catalyst for Arsenal's flaws.
The England star has made scoring look easy over recent months, and is brimming with confidence. Her hold-up play is hardly utilised when she is on the wing, and she struggles to insert herself into midfield passages. A waste of a talent, while Blackstenius spends more time offside than in scoring positions.
A brilliant delivery from Beth Mead made Blackstenius's outing look more comfortable, banging home the winner from an unmissable position.
The temperature is rising for Gareth Taylor
Completing controlling the tempo for a majority of the fixture, this game was City's to lose. The defence looked lifeless, and it seemed a last-ditch effort to bring on Shaw was Taylor's only tactical attempt at winning the game.
Despite being without Greenwood and Lauren Hemp, the ability to bring on Kerolin and Shaw from the bench should have been enough for the side to derive a result out of the tight contest.
With Arsenal stuck for options on the bench amid a period of turbulent squad depth, a loss at home leaves the City manager with a lot to answer for as the season drags on.
Lia Walti the difference in Manchester
While City were bolstered with the arrival of Khadija Shaw and Kerolin from the bench, it was Arsenal's midfield change that made the difference in Manchester. Lia Walti entered the game with 20 minutes to play, and completely shifted the momentum back in favour of the Gunners.
The hosts controlled the tempo for most of the fixture, but Slegers's decision to bring on the Swiss midfielder saw the script rewritten in the final stages. Walti was able to inject calmness into the central areas, allowing Arsenal to string together some control.
The performance was that of an experience veteran, and without her it is easy to say that the result may have not have swung the Gunners' way.
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