Outgoing Manchester City manager Nick Cushing has defeated Arsenal in his final game as manager.
Cushing says farewell to the Manchester club with a well-earned three points against title rivals Arsenal.
Notably, the outgoing City boss was sat on the bench the entire game, leaving Alan Mahon to take charge of the team.
Pauline Bremer and Lauren Hemp scored the goals as City won 2-1 at the Academy Stadium.
The result is a huge one for City, who now find themselves in a fiesty title battle with Chelsea.
Embed from Getty ImagesBremer’s opener came on the stroke of half-time. A scramble in the box following a Caroline Weir free-kick fell kindly to Bremer at the back post, for her to tap in.
Lauren Hemp doubled the lead in the first five minutes of the second half. Keira Walsh’s whipped cross was perfectly met by Hemp’s header, which looped over Zinsberger into the top corner.
City show their claws
Both goals came seemingly against the run of play, with Arsenal dominating possession for the large part. The Gunners created plenty of chances but couldn’t make any of them count.
Danielle van de Donk managed to pull one back for the Gunners, after Beth Mead had a shot parried right back at her. She took the ball and smashed it past the young English goalkeeper to get Arsenal back in the game.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe match came to life in the second half as both sides showed what the occasion really meant. After a coy 45 minutes, the game burst into action with end-to-end football and startling intensity.
Arsenal took charge after getting their goal back but couldn’t find the equaliser. Ellie Roebuck pulled off an immaculate save to deny van de Donk her second.
Vivianne Miedema found her fellow Dutchwoman with a lovely cross but Roebuck denied van de Donk’s effort from two yards out.
Both sets of players began to feel the tenseness of the game as it wore on. There was an altercation between Jordan Nobbs and Lauren Hemp, which as a result, ended up with Katie McCabe getting booked for dissent.
Even seven added minutes seemingly couldn’t help the Gunners find the equaliser at the death.
Embed from Getty ImagesArsenal now fall away from the title race after losing here and to Chelsea. The Gunners will need to be perfect in the run-in to stand a chance at retaining the WSL title.
City stay one point ahead of Chelsea but the Blues have a game in hand. This final win for Cushing could set the tone for City’s remaining season.
The clash between the top two sides at the end of the month becomes bigger with every passing game.
