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WSL: Arsenal beat Man Utd to finish second behind invincible Chelsea

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1 daysFootball

Arsenal secured second place in the Women's Super League with a thrilling 4-3 win over Manchester United on the final day of the season.

Having lost their last two WSL matches, Arsenal needed to avoid defeat against United on Saturday in order to finish second, which will benefit them in qualifying for next season's Champions League.

But Renee Slegers' team got the job done at Emirates Stadium.

Chloe Kelly gave them the lead just two minutes in, profiting from a rare Phallon Tullis-Joyce mistake, yet Ella Toone restored parity with a close-range header 11 minutes later.

Arsenal then scored three goals in an 11-minute spell in the second half, with Mariona Caldentey netting from the spot before Frida Maanum and Kim Little looked to put the hosts out of sight.

However, United set up a nervy end as Elisabeth Terland halved the deficit before Maya Le Tissier converted a penalty in the 76th minute.

The Red Devils could not find a late equaliser, though, and will finish third, having confirmed their Champions League spot last weekend.

Chelsea, meanwhile, became the first team to record an invincible season in the WSL in a 22-game season after a late 1-0 win over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues, who wrapped up the title by beating United on April 30, looked set to end their season with a draw despite prolonged pressure.

But Aggie Beever-Jones scored the late winner in the 91st minute, with Chelsea's 13th, and final, shot on target in the game as Liverpool failed to hold on after a spirited defensive display.

It was a 19th win of the season for Sonia Bompastor's side, who face United in the FA Cup final next weekend as they look to complete a domestic treble.

Manchester City finished fourth, rounding off their season with a five-match unbeaten streak after thrashing relegated Crystal Palace 5-2 in their season finale.

They twice trailed to Palace, who took the lead four minutes in through Ashleigh Weerden, with Mille Gejl restoring that lead before the break after Kerolin had equalised.

However, Jill Roord and Rebecca Knaak, who netted a brace, flipped the game on its head.

Kerolin grabbed her second of the game late on to finish City's underwhelming season on a high note.

Brighton finished in fifth, three points ahead of Aston Villa, who beat the Seagulls 3-1 to leapfrog Liverpool in the table.

Ebony Salmon, Rachel Daly and Mayumi Pacheco put the Villans in control, with Nikita Parris scoring a 94th-minute consolation.

Leicester City, who scored the fewest goals this season, had something to cheer after a thumping 4-2 victory over West Ham, who have failed to win any of their final six matches at the end of a WSL campaign.

That win meant they finished above Tottenham, who played out a 1-1 draw with Everton, to finish their season without a victory in any of their final 10 matches, seeing them drop to 11th.

Data Debrief: Top two bow out on a high

It looked like Arsenal's WSL season could be slipping away from them after two heavy defeats, but they found their rhythm on the final day to get back to form ahead of their upcoming Champions League final against Barcelona.

The Gunners have won their final WSL game of the season 12 times out of 15 campaigns (including the Spring Series).

One disappointment for Arsenal is that Alessia Russo failed to hit the back of the net, meaning she will share the Golden Boot with Man City's Khadija Shaw, as they both netted 12 goals this season.

Terland's goal, however, ensured she finished with the most goal involvements this season, with 15 (10 goals, five assists). It is also the most by a player in their debut season for United in the competition.

As for Chelsea, they set a new points record for a single season with their win over Liverpool. They finished the campaign with 60 points, two more than their previous best of 58 in 2022-23.

The Blues, who finished a campaign unbeaten for the third time in their history, also set the best points per game rate in a single campaign of 2.73, bettering Arsenal's 2.7 in 2018-19 (54 points).