Arsenal delivered a statement performance on February 8, 2026, as Olivia Smith’s dazzling 17th-minute solo goal handed Women’s Super League leaders Manchester City their first defeat since the opening day of the season. In front of a raucous crowd of 39,155 at Emirates Stadium, the Gunners not only snapped City’s 13-match winning streak but also reignited the title race and gave their own UEFA Women’s Champions League qualification hopes a significant boost.
City, who had looked nearly untouchable throughout the campaign, entered the match with an 18-match unbeaten run and an eight-point cushion atop the table. But Arsenal, fresh off their FIFA Women’s Champions Cup triumph and a crucial win over Chelsea, looked revitalized and determined to prove that the season’s outcome was far from decided. The hosts pressed high from the outset, with Vivianne Miedema firing an early warning shot just wide against her old club.
The breakthrough came in spectacular fashion. Mariona Caldentey, pulling the strings in midfield, lofted a perfectly weighted pass over the City backline. Olivia Smith, deployed as a central striker rather than her usual wing position, shrugged off Rebecca Knaak’s challenge, surged into the box, and coolly rounded goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita before slotting home her seventh goal of the season. The Emirates erupted as Smith wheeled away in celebration, later telling Reuters, “I’m super excited and happy. We worked really hard for this. We knew we had to be at our best to win today.”
Arsenal coach Renée Slegers’ tactical adjustments were evident throughout. Alessia Russo’s deeper role in midfield disrupted City’s rhythm, particularly neutralizing Yui Hasegawa, the visitors’ midfield engine. This forced City to play wider, but Arsenal’s fullbacks, especially Katie McCabe, pressed aggressively, stifling the league leaders’ usual passing lanes. “We have three clean sheets in the WSL now against top opposition. Now it’s about staying here, working really hard to stay here, keep developing and keep on pushing for as much as we can rest of the season,” Slegers reflected post-match, as reported by ESPN.
Manchester City, managed by Andrée Jeglertz, tried to respond. Khadija Shaw, the WSL’s top scorer, saw her few chances well marshaled by the Arsenal defense, and Lauren Hemp’s appeals for a penalty after a tangle with Emily Fox were waved away by referee Abigail Byrne. City’s frustration grew when Miedema thought she’d equalized, only for her effort to be ruled out due to a foul on McCabe. Despite a more assertive second half, City’s best opportunity was a Shaw header that sailed wide, and Arsenal’s defense held firm to preserve the clean sheet.
“I don’t think [the loss] is going to affect the players,” Jeglertz told reporters after the match. “We are fully aware of the situation we are in, and we are still in a very good position in the league. We still have confidence in what we have done so far, and it’s important how you analyse this game and move on as quickly as possible, but I’m not worried about the future.”
The result had immediate ramifications for the league standings. Arsenal climbed to third place, ten points behind City but with a game in hand, and just one point behind Chelsea—who had a chance to reclaim third later that day with a match against Tottenham Hotspur. Manchester United sat second, eight points adrift of City, who still boasted a formidable +41 goal difference. For Chelsea, the pressure mounted after back-to-back defeats to Arsenal and a heavy 5-1 loss to City, with their manager Sonia Bompastor recently signing a new contract amid persistent questions about the club’s direction.
Elsewhere in the WSL, the day was packed with drama. Chelsea did their part to stay in the hunt by defeating Tottenham 2-0 away, with Keira Walsh and Alyssa Thompson finding the net. Liverpool, meanwhile, finally climbed off the bottom of the table for the first time since November, thrashing Aston Villa 4-1 with goals from Mia Enderby, Martha Thomas, Grace Fisk, and Aurelie Csillag. West Ham United staged a remarkable comeback, overturning a 2-0 deficit to beat Brighton & Hove Albion 3-2 thanks to late strikes from Ffion Morgan, Shekiera Martinez, and Viviane Asseyi. Everton, adjusting to the recent dismissal of manager Brian Sorensen, secured a gritty 1-0 win at London City Lionesses courtesy of Inma Gabarro’s second-half goal and a string of vital saves by goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan.
At the bottom of the table, Leicester City’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester United left them rooted in last place, while West Ham’s heroics pulled them clear of the relegation zone. The mid-table remains fiercely contested, with every point crucial as teams jockey for position in the season’s final months.
For Arsenal, the victory over City capped a run of seven points taken from the WSL’s top three in their last three outings—a testament to their growing momentum since the winter break. Slegers emphasized the importance of keeping emotions in check amid recent highs: “The challenge is to stay in the controlled middle, not too high, not too low, especially not too high after those moments. And then we have a week to prepare to play against the number one in the table, City, who have been so good—a lot of respect for how they’ve performed so far in the season.”
As the dust settles, Manchester City remain in the driver’s seat, but their aura of invincibility has been cracked. Arsenal’s resurgence, Chelsea’s struggles, and the dogfight at the bottom promise an unpredictable finish to the WSL season. With Champions League spots and the league title still very much up for grabs, fans can expect plenty more twists before the final whistle blows in May.
For now, Arsenal’s faithful will savor a famous win, one that keeps their European dreams alive and the title race thrillingly open.