City's comeback rout leaves Arsenal 10 points adrift and under the microscope

The champions proved their mettle despite Arsenal dominating the first half. Lisa Baum fired the Gunners ahead late in the opening 45 minutes—though replays suggested an offside—only for City to level three minutes later when Lauren Hemp's effort deflected off Emily Fox, with Arsenal furious the visitors had not put the ball out of play while Mariona Caldentey lay injured.

Alessia Russo restored Arsenal's lead early in the second half after an error from Manchester City's Ayaka Yamashita, but City's response was swift and clinical. Kerstin Casparij arrived off the bench to curl a stunning effort into the far corner, then Hemp took advantage of slack defending to put City ahead. Bunny Shaw added a late fourth as Arsenal pressed bodies forward.

The result leaves City on five wins from five, while Arsenal sit on just one victory from their opening five games. According to Sky Sports, the gap of 10 points has already raised questions about whether Slegers' side remain in the title conversation. With a long international break approaching, Arsenal face a period to regroup and assess their campaign.