Arsenal and Manchester United drew 0-0 in the WSL at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal were the better team on the ball but could not score, even against ten players.
Arsenal had a clear chance to move up the Women’s Super League table but were held to a 0-0 draw by Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium. The home side saw more of the ball and created more attempts, yet they could not turn pressure into a goal.
The result keeps Arsenal in the Champions League places but stops them from going above Chelsea. It also means Manchester City can open up a bigger lead at the top if they win their next match.
Arsenal started strongly and pushed United back early on. Fridolina Rolfo went close with a powerful header, but goalkeeper Anneke Borbe reacted well and made a key save.
Arsenal kept the ball for long spells and worked the ball into good areas, yet the final touch was missing. Manchester United were happy to sit deep, defend in numbers, and wait for quick breaks when they won the ball.
The turning point came in the 65th minute when Jayde Riviere received a second yellow card for a late challenge. Her red card left Manchester United with ten players for the last 25 minutes plus added time.
With the extra player, Arsenal increased the tempo and pushed more bodies forward. They tried to stretch United’s defence by using the wings and sending more crosses into the box, but the away side stayed organised and blocked many shots.
Across the match, Arsenal had 25 shots but only six were on target. Many efforts were rushed, blocked, or off balance, and clear one-on-one chances were rare. The forwards often found themselves facing two or three defenders in the penalty area.
This was the first time under coach Renée Slegers that Arsenal failed to score at home in a WSL match. The draw also meant they missed a chance to move ahead of Chelsea and cut the gap to Manchester City, who could now be up to 10 points in front by the end of the weekend.
Manchester United, now sitting in fourth place, focused mainly on defence, especially after the red card. The back line cleared crosses, blocked shots, and stayed tight to Arsenal’s forwards inside the box.
Coach Marc Skinner praised the effort of his players after the match. He said his team knew they would have to work very hard without the ball and that, after going down to ten players, they showed strong character to hold on for a point away from home.
Renée Slegers said she was unhappy with the result and the lack of goals, given how much of the game Arsenal controlled. She said the team must create cleaner chances in the box and be calmer when shooting.
Marc Skinner, on the other hand, said he was proud of how United handled the pressure. He accepted that playing with ten players is always tough but felt his side were ready for a fight and deserved their draw. Both coaches agreed that the match showed how tight the top of the WSL is this season.
