EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsHead coach Rene Slegers walked to the edge of her technical area and raised her fingers to her temples. Lisa Baum had just scrambled the ball home to put Arsenal 1-0 up against Manchester City in the WSL, but still Slegers knew the game was far from over.When Khadija "Bunny" Shaw scored late in the second half to seal City's 4-2 victory, Slegers let out a growl of exasperation. Considering Arsenal's hugely underwhelming start to the season, perhaps she had known what was coming.This was an afternoon that saw the Gunners twice take the lead twice at the Etihad and still walk away empty handed, losing forward Mariona Caldentey to injury for good measure. The 90 minutes served as a microcosm of a campaign that has already veered off course for an Arsenal side many touted as favourites to win the WSL this term.With the Gunners now 10 points behind top-of-the table City, the chances of them fulfilling that prophecy look bleak. Instead, they languish in 10th place having won just one of their first five league games, with the pressure now firmly on Slegers heading into next week's international break."All I know so far is that the last couple of days we've been together as a club, as a team, with support and aligning on the direction," Slegers said in her postmatch news conference. "Of course, this result is disappointing but I'm here. I'm full of energy. I care a lot for the club, for the players and I see perspective. Of course, it's good I think with the international break coming up because the players change environment. They get some new energy and play their football elsewhere and then come back in with new energy."It has been quite the week for Arsenal -- and not in a good way. After a narrow defeat to Chelsea in the WSL last weekend, the Gunners' then threw away a two-goal advantage away to Paris FC in the UEFA Women's Champions League in midweek.That the experienced Leah Williamson gave away a penalty for bizarrely picking up the ball after it had already been kicked inside the box compounded the sense of a team in crisis. Slegers later apologised for dodging her postmatch media duties -- sources told ESPN that the Dutch coach was too angry to face the press -- but her absence only ramped up the significance of Sunday's trip to City.It appeared Arsenal's fortunes might be changing when Ayaka Yamashita palmed Lotte Wubben-Moy's header into the path of Baum, who opened the scoring late in the first half. Had VAR been in operation, the German winger may well have been adjudged to be offside but, as it was, the goal stood and the visitors looked to be heading into the break with a precious lead.That was until three minutes later when Lauren Hemp's strike deflected heavily off Emily Fox and into the back of the Arsenal net to draw City level. The Gunners' afternoon quickly went from bad to worse when Caldentey was forced off the pitch in tears after picking up what looked to be a hamstring injury.Arsenal were granted a reprieve early in the second half when the usually prolific Shaw spurned a glorious opportunity when through on goal. Just moments later, the Gunners were celebrating after Alessia Russo had nicked the ball from Yui Hasegawa and whipped the ball brilliantly past Yamashita to net her first WSL goal of the season.At that point, Arsenal looked to be the ascendency but -- as has been the case on too many occasions this season -- they failed to make their dominance count. That left the door open for substitute Kerstin Casparij to restore parity just after the hour mark, scoring brilliantly from distance with her first touch of the match.By the time Hemp had put City in front, finishing smartly through the legs of Anneke Borbe, it was clear that there was only going to be one winner. Shaw put the icing on the cake for the hosts six minutes from time, slotting home coolly to continue City's flawless start to the WSL season.Their victory is made all the more impressive given the fact the past week has brought with it plenty of turmoil, with an independent panel having found City guilty of more than 100 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules. City -- who vehemently deny any wrongdoing -- have appealed the ruling but, if the noise has affected Andre Jeglertz's side, it certainly didn't show on Sunday.For Arsenal, though, the noise is only likely to increase in the coming days and weeks. It has been the club's worst start to a WSL season since 2014 and it is hard not to draw comparisons to the final days of Jonas Eidevall's tenure. Slegers' predecessor resigned in October 2024, with his team five points adrift of the top of the table.At the full time whistle at the Etihad, the Arsenal players gathered together in a huddle before their head coach led them over to the away fans, many of whom stayed behind to applaud their team. Slegers looked visibly emotional as she held up her hands in a gesture of apology.She will know better than anyone that Arsenal's start to the season has not been good enough. If the tide does not turn quickly, she may well end up paying with her job.
