Chloe Kelly’s Revenge Counts for Nothing: Arsenal Women Fall to Dramatic Defeat at Manchester City

Gunners’ Unbeaten WSL Run Ends as Beney’s Late Heroics Leave Title Hopes Under Early Pressure

It all seemed so perfectly scripted. Chloe Kelly, back at her old home in Manchester, stepping off the bench to lash one into the top corner and drag Arsenal level with just seven minutes left on the clock. The former Manchester City winger, now one of the leading lights of English football, looked to have written her own fairytale ending — revenge, redemption, and the roar of the away end echoing around the Joie Stadium.

But football is a cruel storyteller. Moments later, as stoppage time loomed, City’s 19-year-old Swiss substitute Iman Beney crashed home her first goal for the club, turning Kelly’s moment of joy into little more than a paragraph in the post-match reports. A breathless five-goal thriller ended 3–2, City climbing to second in the table and Arsenal’s unbeaten start to the Women’s Super League season evaporating in the Manchester drizzle.

Arsenal’s Early Wobble Raises Questions

It’s still early days in the campaign, but for Renée Slegers, this defeat will sting. Arsenal’s slow, uneven start to the season has already prompted quiet murmurs among the fanbase about rhythm, consistency, and whether this squad — dripping with international talent — can truly push Chelsea all the way.

After five matches, the Gunners have now dropped points as many times as the reigning champions did across the entirety of last season. It’s not a crisis, not yet, but there’s a creeping sense that they’re running short of margin for error in a title race where slip-ups are punished mercilessly.

They’ve drawn with Manchester United and Aston Villa, and now this late collapse at City. That’s three results that could easily have gone the other way — and that fine line, as history shows, is the difference between champions and nearly-men.

A Game That Had Everything

To say this was an entertaining match would be an understatement. It was chaos and quality rolled into one: slick passing, defensive errors, thunderous goals, and that intangible WSL drama that seems to find both of these clubs whenever they meet.

Khadija “Bunny” Shaw opened the scoring with a bullet header, City’s direct play and superior aerial presence carving open Arsenal’s defence far too easily. Moments later, she should have made it 2–0, only to overcomplicate a simple finish — a miss that would almost immediately come back to haunt her side.

Just seconds after halftime, Mariona Caldentey fired the visitors level, capitalising on space gifted to her by a static City back line. It was the perfect response — or should have been. Within ten minutes, City had regained control through Kerstin Casparij, whose marauding runs caused Arsenal problems all evening.

Still, Arsenal refused to fold. They pressed, probed, and with the clock ticking down, Chloe Kelly delivered her headline moment — a fierce strike from distance that left Ayaka Yamashita rooted. It was her trademark: power, precision, and poise.

At 2–2, the story seemed written. Kelly had her revenge. Arsenal had salvaged something. But then came Beney. One swing of her boot, one sweetly struck shot, and the Gunners were beaten.

Defensive Fragility Proves Costly Again

For all of Arsenal’s technical quality going forward, their defending continues to undermine them. The partnership of Lotte Wubben-Moy and Steph Catley, usually so composed, looked shaky under pressure from Shaw’s physicality.

Both players were drawn out of position for City’s opener, leaving acres of space behind them. For the winner, neither reacted quickly enough to the loose ball, allowing Beney to pounce. These are the kind of lapses that decide titles — and right now, Arsenal are on the wrong side of them.

Slegers’ decision to rest the in-form Amanda Ilestedt-Reid and instead hand Wubben-Moy a start will raise eyebrows. The England international struggled to contain Shaw and was caught ball-watching on more than one occasion.

Midfield Class, But No Cutting Edge

Kim Little was, as ever, Arsenal’s metronome in midfield — calm, measured, unflappable. She dictated play when the Gunners were in possession and linked defence to attack with her usual grace. But even her influence couldn’t mask the lack of incision higher up the pitch.

Mariona Caldentey, the scorer of Arsenal’s first equaliser, showed flashes of her Barcelona brilliance — that ability to drift between lines, to see passes others don’t. Yet too often, her teammates didn’t read her runs or anticipate her intentions.

Victoria Pelova worked tirelessly in the press, snapping at heels and trying to force City’s midfield into mistakes. Still, her impact in the final third was limited. Arsenal’s midfield three moved the ball neatly but lacked that extra spark — the sudden acceleration or risky pass that unlocks tight defences.

Forward Line Falters

Up front, it was another frustrating afternoon for Alessia Russo. The England striker cut an isolated figure for much of the game, starved of meaningful service. She held the ball up well when it reached her, but the chances simply didn’t come.

Olivia Smith worked hard down the right, pressing aggressively and beating her marker more than once, yet her final ball too often let her down. On the left, Caitlin Foord was Arsenal’s liveliest attacker — cutting inside, drifting centrally, testing the City back line. But even her influence faded as fatigue set in.

For all their possession, Arsenal didn’t test Yamashita nearly enough. Their best openings fell to Stina Blackstenius, introduced off the bench, who squandered a golden one-on-one chance that could have levelled the game long before Kelly’s late equaliser.

Chloe Kelly’s Revenge — and the Twist That Followed

When Kelly stepped up in the 83rd minute, it felt inevitable. Her first touch was crisp, the second devastating. The strike screamed past Yamashita and into the top corner, pure vengeance delivered with a smile and a scream.

Her teammates mobbed her, and for a fleeting moment, Arsenal believed. You could almost see the headlines forming — “Kelly Haunts Her Former Club.”

And then came Beney’s reply. The young Swiss forward’s strike silenced everything. Kelly could only watch, hands on hips, as City celebrated in a pile of sky blue. Football can be merciless like that.

Arsenal Women Player Ratings vs Manchester City

Goalkeeper & Defence

Daphne van Domselaar (6/10) – Made several key stops to keep Arsenal in the game, though she’ll want to forget one or two nervy moments on crosses. Not at fault for any of the goals.

Emily Fox (5/10) – Struggled against the pace and physicality of City’s wide players. Could have done more to prevent the opener and was often caught between pressing and covering.

Lotte Wubben-Moy (4/10) – A difficult afternoon. Lost Shaw repeatedly in the box and looked unsure when City played direct. Lacked composure when it mattered most.

Steph Catley (5/10) – Comfortable on the ball but caught out of position several times. Needed to take more control of the defensive line.

Katie McCabe (5/10) – Energetic as ever, but her defensive positioning left gaps for City to exploit. Offered attacking thrust but little protection for the back four.

Midfield

Kim Little Arsenal Women 2025-26

Kim Little (6/10) – Elegant and efficient. Controlled possession when Arsenal had momentum but couldn’t drag her side over the line.

Mariona Caldentey (5/10) – Scored a stunning equaliser but faded afterward. Needed to impose herself more in the attacking third.

Victoria Pelova (5/10) – Industrious and tidy but lacked penetration. Worked hard in transition, though her influence diminished late on.

Attack

Jade Rose Alessia Russo Man City Arsenal Women 2025-26

Olivia Smith (5/10) – Lively on the ball and fearless running at defenders, but her end product wasn’t there.

Alessia Russo (5/10) – A lonely shift up front. Movement was good, but service was poor. Needs better link-up from midfield to thrive.

Caitlin Foord (6/10) – Arsenal’s sharpest attacking outlet, especially in the first half. Drifted inside intelligently but couldn’t produce a decisive moment.

Substitutes & Manager

Chloe Kelly (6/10) – Brilliant goal, trademark power and accuracy. Should be starting more often based on this cameo.

Beth Mead (6/10) – Injected pace and directness. Caused problems but didn’t have enough time to truly change the game.

Stina Blackstenius (4/10) – Missed a massive one-on-one that could’ve altered everything. Wasteful.

Kyra Cooney-Cross (N/A) – Ten-minute cameo, still waiting for a real opportunity to prove herself this season.

Frida Maanum (N/A) – Late substitute, little time to make an impact.

Renée Slegers (4/10) – Took a gamble by rotating her defence, and it backfired. Substitutions helped Arsenal fight back, but the structural issues at the back remain unresolved.

What’s Next for the Gunners?

It’s not panic time yet, but Arsenal’s margin for error is narrowing. Chelsea’s ruthless efficiency means every dropped point feels heavier than usual, and with tough fixtures ahead, Renée Slegers will need to find a defensive balance — and fast.

The attacking talent is undeniable, but until Arsenal stop gifting goals like this, their title dream will remain just that — a dream.

Chloe Kelly’s revenge might have been sweet, but by full-time, it counted for nothing.