Iman Beney the Hero! Manchester City Women Edge Arsenal 3–2 as Bunny Shaw Dominates Again
Iman Beney's first goal for Manchester City secured a dramatic late victory for Andree Jeglertz's side, moments after it had appeared they'd thrown away all three points. Arsenal had twice pegged the hosts back in a lively second-half but as the clock ticked towards the 90-minute mark, up stepped the summer signing from BSC YB Frauen to smash home and make it 3-2, keeping the pressure up on Chelsea at the top of the WSL table.

Iman Beney the Hero! Manchester City Women Edge Arsenal 3–2 as Bunny Shaw Dominates Again

Swiss Star’s Late Strike Sends City Second in WSL Title Race After a Rollercoaster Night

It was one of those nights at the Joie Stadium where drama seemed to hang in the Manchester air. Arsenal twice fought their way back into the contest, momentum swinging like a pendulum between two of the Women’s Super League’s biggest title hopefuls. But in the 89th minute, with tension thick enough to slice, Iman Beney – the young Swiss signing few outside Switzerland had even heard of last summer – slammed home her first goal for Manchester City and sent her new club soaring to second in the WSL table.

For Andrée Jeglertz, this was more than just three points. It was a statement. City had let control slip twice, but they didn’t crumble. They stayed composed, found their moment, and with Beney’s emphatic finish, they reignited belief that Chelsea’s long-held dominance could yet be challenged this season.

A Game of Shifting Control

The match began with Arsenal asserting themselves in familiar fashion. Jonas Eidevall’s side pressed high, monopolised the ball, and forced City back into their own half. But possession doesn’t always tell the story, and when City did break forward, they were devastating.

It took them until the 36th minute to find the breakthrough, but it had been coming. Yui Hasegawa, whose deliveries were a constant menace, swung in a corner that almost crept straight in, forcing Daphne van Domselaar into an acrobatic stop. Moments later, from another sweeping right-flank move, Kerstin Casparij whipped in a perfect cross and Bunny Shaw rose like she was born to head it – powerful, precise, unstoppable.

Van Domselaar barely saw it. The ball thundered off Shaw’s forehead and nestled in the far corner, a classic striker’s goal that underlined once again why she’s the most feared forward in the division.

Missed Chances and Instant Punishment

City should have doubled their advantage almost immediately. Shaw – who had already embarrassed Van Domselaar and Lotte Wubben-Moy with a feint that sent both tumbling – only had to tap into an empty net. Instead, she hesitated, tried to make it perfect, and saw her effort cleared off the line before Casparij’s rebound was ruled offside.

Football is ruthless. Within sixty seconds, City’s wastefulness was punished. Arsenal broke with pace through Emily Fox, who picked out Mariona Caldentey in acres of space. The Spanish international took one touch, looked up, and arrowed her strike into the top corner. A blistering finish, unstoppable for Ayaka Yamashita, and suddenly it was 1–1.

The away end erupted. Arsenal had barely threatened before then, but Caldentey’s moment of quality reminded everyone that this side, even in transition, can score from anywhere.

Shaw’s Aerial Power Dominates Again

If the first half belonged to Shaw, the second would become a duel between her relentlessness and Arsenal’s resilience.

Casparij, already with an assist to her name, was again involved when City retook the lead. Shaw bullied Wubben-Moy in the air, nodding a header back across the six-yard box, and when Arsenal failed to clear, Casparij bundled the ball over the line. 2–1, and City were back on top.

Jeglertz punched the air; the bench roared. City had regained control. Yet there was always that lingering sense – as there so often is in big games – that one moment could change everything.

Sure enough, Arsenal refused to wilt.

Kelly Haunts Her Former Club

With just minutes left, former City winger Chloe Kelly stepped up in spectacular fashion. There was poetic justice in the strike: the player who once wore sky blue, now wearing Arsenal red, silencing her old supporters with a thunderbolt into the top corner.

It was a stunning goal – power, technique, confidence – everything Kelly brings when she’s at her best. And it looked, for a brief moment, like it might earn Arsenal a valuable away point.

But football loves its stories, and fate had one more twist in store.

Beney’s Breakthrough Moment

Enter Iman Beney. Just 19 years old, signed quietly from BSC YB Frauen in the summer, she’d been waiting for her chance. Jeglertz threw her on for the final fifteen minutes, a move that would prove inspired.

Within a minute, she was already making her presence felt, flashing a shot into the side netting. Then, in the dying embers of the match, came her defining moment.

Another Shaw aerial duel caused chaos in the Arsenal box. The ball spilled loose, and Beney, showing the instinct of a natural finisher, pounced. One touch to steady herself, one to smash it home.

3–2. Pandemonium. The Joie Stadium exploded. Teammates mobbed her, fans sang her name, and Beney stood there beaming – a hero in sky blue.

It wasn’t just her first goal for City; it was one that could reshape the WSL title race.

Manchester City Player Ratings vs Arsenal

Manchester City v Arsenal - Barclays Women's Super League

Manchester City v Arsenal – Barclays Women’s Super League

Goalkeeper & Defence

Ayaka Yamashita (7/10) – Could do little about either Arsenal goal, both unstoppable strikes. Otherwise composed, handling crosses confidently and pulling off sharp stops to deny Beth Mead and Stina Blackstenius.

Kerstin Casparij (8/10) – Exceptional. Provided the assist for Shaw’s opener, scored the second herself, and constantly stretched Arsenal’s back line with her overlapping runs. A complete full-back performance.

Jade Rose (5/10) – Making only her second WSL start, she looked nervous at times. Gave Russo too much space and was nearly punished after a shaky back-pass. Still, valuable experience gained.

Alex Greenwood (7/10) – Commanding as ever. Marshalled the defence well and caused danger at the other end with a series of wicked corners. Her leadership in tight moments was crucial.

Leila Ouahabi (6/10) – Struggled early against the pace of Olivia Smith but grew into the game. Contributed key interceptions and joined attacks effectively when space opened up.

Midfield

Manchester City v Arsenal - Barclays Women's Super League

Manchester City v Arsenal – Barclays Women’s Super League

Laura Blindkilde Brown (6/10) – Tidy in possession but could have tracked Caldentey better for Arsenal’s equaliser. Passed efficiently, kept City ticking, but didn’t quite stamp authority.

Yui Hasegawa (6/10) – At her best when dictating tempo, and her set-pieces were superb. A delightful early through ball almost set up Fujino, though a few misplaced passes kept inviting pressure.

Attack

Manchester City v Arsenal - Barclays Women's Super League

Manchester City v Arsenal – Barclays Women’s Super League

Aoba Fujino (6/10) – Technically sharp, always looking to combine with Shaw. Helped create the opener but lacked a cutting edge when chances came her way.

Vivianne Miedema (5/10) – A quiet outing against her old rivals. Found pockets of space but failed to make them count. Subbed off late on after an uncharacteristically subdued display.

Grace Clinton (6/10) – Industrious and disciplined, dropping deep to shield her defence. Didn’t offer much going forward but her work rate was essential during Arsenal’s spells of dominance.

Khadija “Bunny” Shaw (7/10) – The heartbeat of everything City did well in attack. Scored one, created another, and bullied Arsenal’s defence throughout. Still, she’ll replay that first-half miss in her mind for days.

Substitutes & Manager

Manchester City v Arsenal - Barclays Women's Super League

Manchester City v Arsenal – Barclays Women’s Super League

Iman Beney (8/10) – The match-winner. Came on full of confidence, immediately tested the keeper, and then delivered when it mattered most. A moment she – and City fans – will never forget.

Laura Coombs (N/A) – Brought energy in midfield during the closing stages, helping to secure control as City pushed for the winner.

Sydney Lohmann (N/A) – Introduced deep into stoppage time to help close out the match.

Andrée Jeglertz (8/10) – His substitutions changed everything. Taking Clinton off was a brave call, but it opened the door for Beney’s heroics. He managed the game superbly, and City now look like genuine title contenders.

What It Means for the Title Race

This result sends Manchester City second, just behind Chelsea, and adds fresh intrigue to what already promises to be one of the tightest WSL title battles in years. Arsenal, for their part, will rue defensive lapses and missed chances but remain very much in the race.

For City, the belief is tangible. They’ve got the physicality, the flair, and now – thanks to Iman Beney’s breakthrough – a new hero who could become their secret weapon in the months ahead.

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