Arsenal WSL runners-up after resisting Manchester United fightback for 4-3 win
It was more nervy than it needed to be but Arsenal secured a second-place finish ahead of Manchester United with the win in a seven-goal thriller. A point would have been enough for the home team to earn a place in the third round of qualifying for next season's Champions League, but a three-goal advantage with 20 minutes remaining was reduced to one in the space of six minutes to keep the jeopardy alive and the atmosphere among the 46,603 tense to the finish.
Manchester United's captain, Maya Le Tissier, had said Champions League football was 'all that matters' , but the visiting team fought with the intensity of a team keen to put in a strong performance before their FA Cup final showdown with the WSL champions Chelsea a week on Sunday.
Related: Chelsea complete unbeaten season, Arsenal 4-3 Manchester United: WSL final day – live
For Arsenal, this was a chance to turn things around before a second Champions League final after two heavy league defeats, to Aston Villa and Brighton, and they did so, their Emirates Stadium send-off in full swing at the final whistle. 'I'm happy we showed a much better version of ourselves, said Renée Slegers, their manager.
The attention before kick-off had been on the home team's goalkeeper, with Daphne van Domselaar unavailable because of an ankle injury there were doubts about the reliability of backup Manuela Zinsberger. However, it would be Phallon Tullis-Joyce – who will share the WSL golden glove with Chelsea's Hannah Hampton after the latter kept a clean sheet against Liverpool – who would make a clanger in the second minute to give their rivals the lead, failing to hold on to Alessia Russo's ball in that allowed Chloe Kelly to pounce and fire into the empty net.
The mettle of the under-fire Zinsberger would be tested soon after, the Austrian rising to tip Ella Toone's goalbound strike from distance over the bar. It was a confidence-boosting save, but a minute later the visiting team had the equaliser, a whipped-in corner was headed back towards the near post where an unmarked Toone was on hand to nod in.
Arsenal retook the lead quickly after the break, Grace Clinton tangling with Caitlin Foord in the box and Mariona Caldentey coolly converting the resulting penalty. Five minutes later and the Gunners had a two-goal advantage, Frida Maanum collecting the ball from Katie McCabe before curling it into the net at the far post from a tight angle.
They should have had another penalty soon after, Celin Bizet almost pushing the ball away with the palm of her hand but the referee waved away the appeals. The home team need not have worried, they had the fourth just past the hour mark, Kelly working hard before playing the ball to Kim Little who turned and powered the ball past Tullis-Joyce.
United reduced the deficit with 20 minutes remaining though, McCabe passing under pressure straight to Elizabeth Terland whose strike took a deflection off Steph Catley to wrongfoot Zinsberger. The pressure was heaped on soon after, the referee pointing to the spot after McCabe brought down Bizet and Le Tissier hammered it in.
Marc Skinner said the revival showed United were more mentally tough this season. 'If this was last season, we would have gone down to 6-1 ,' he said. 'From that perspective, it was right for us to stay aggressive. It's a game where you've got to try to win and we're a different beast this year.'
Up next is a final apiece, United in the FA Cup and Arsenal against Barcelona in the Champions League on 24 May in Lisbon. 'The Chelsea game will be different, but it's given me a lot of ideas,' said Skinner.
Slegers said: 'Barcelona is going to be a totally different game. They have a different style of play, so they will challenge us in different ways.'
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