In a battle of four Matildas in the Women's Super League, Steph Catley hammered home a terrific — and rare — goal to send Arsenal on its way to a 2-1 victory over fellow title contenders Manchester City.
Key points:
- Arsenal defeated Manchester City 2-1 to hand City its first loss of the season
- Steph Catley scored the opener just four days after playing for the Matildas
- Sam Kerr sat out Chelsea's 6-0 victory over Aston Villa as they remain top of the table
Just four days and 14,500km from their Olympic qualifier win over Chinese Taipei in Perth, Catley and Caitlin Foord got the better of City's Mary Fowler and Alanna Kennedy in Monday morning's big game.
Arsenal's Matildas' duo combined expertly for the 14th-minute goal that set the Gunners on the path to victory. It was defender Catley's third league goal in her four seasons at the club.
"I usually score about one a year, so that might be me done," Catley said.
"It's nice to get a goal whenever but obviously in a big game, it's important. It feels good and just happy to get three points."
After her midweek heroics, Fowler had a quiet game by her current standards but was involved in the build-up to City's second-half equaliser through Chloe Kelly.
But Arsenal still won the day thanks to an 88th-minute blunder from young City goalkeeper Khiara Keating, who misjudged a long ball pumped downfield, completely missing her attempt at a headed clearance outside the box and before turning in despair to see Stina Blackstenius tap the ball into an empty net.
It capped an eventful afternoon for the 19-year-old Keating, who had earlier given away a penalty for a foul on Cloe Lacasse but then saved Kim Little's subsequent spot kick brilliantly.
The teenager needed comforting by her teammates at the final whistle as City suffered their first defeat of the season — a result that suited Matildas captain Sam Kerr.
On Saturday, Kerr, unlike her WSL teammates elsewhere, had been afforded the luxury of an afternoon on the bench watching her Chelsea teammates smash Aston Villa 6-0.
That win has given the champions a three-point lead at the top over both Arsenal and City.
Tottenham, who drew 1-1 at home to Everton, and Liverpool, who beat Leicester 2-1, are also alongside Arsenal and City on 10 points. Manchester United remain sixth on nine points after their 2-2 draw at Brighton Hove & Albion, while Bristol City won 3-2 at Mackenzie Arnold's West Ham United to get off the bottom of the table.
AAP