Thanks for reading. Suzanne Wrack will be filing later on a momentous day in the WSL.
Gareth Taylor, the Manchester City manager, speaks.
It’s all about the win. I think we can play better. The wind was blowing much harder than people watching at home will realise. An amazing goal from Hempo and a great ball from Kelly. I just heard now [about Chelsea and United results], it just seems a crazy Sunday. We have to control the controllables and make sure we roll on to the next game.
Chloe Kelly, who set up both City goals, speaks.
We knew we had to stick together. We believe in out ability and we got the job done. I have been working on my crosses. I am enjoying playing for this team. It’s really starting to gell. We don’t want to get too far ahead. We will work hard on ourselves.
The City players were delighted to learn the other scorelines in the WSL.
Here’s that winning goal, a cracker from Lauren Heap, great work from Chloe Kelly too.
Manchester City, on 30 points, are within two points of Chelsea and Manchester United, and have played one fewer game than United. Arsenal, in fourth, are now seven points behind City.
City are back in the title race after today’s results, and they owe that to two excellent goals from Ellen White and Lauren Heap. Arsenal were lacking in quality for too much of the game, though did score an excellent equaliser.
90+4 min: Lucy Bronze falls to the floor, her knee seems to be the problem. The collective gasps abate when she soon gets back up to take a throw-in.
90+3 min: Arsenal’s buildup is not exactly rapid and City are holding them at arm’s length. There must be one more chance to come though.
90+1 min: Four minutes added on. Ellen White vacates the field as Janine Beckie comes on in her stead.
90 min: Miedema is onside and past the City defence but the ball just won’t drop.
89 min: City looking to sit back. Steph Houghton is marshalling her defence as it creeps deeper and deeper.
87 min: Kelly off for Lavelle, and her first action is take part in some defensive work in clearing the ball as Miedema – at last – gets some space, but cannot get a shot in.
86 min: Roebuck almost caught out when the ball is played to Van de Donk but it’s cleared, albeit nervily. The ball did seem to get caught in the wind.
84 min: Roebuck’s kick from Stanway’s backpass is none too convincing. But it goes back to Stanway and City restore some calm.
82 min: City continue to push on and Arsenal cannot get out.
80 min: We are told there has never been an WSL draw between these two. And the decisive moment looks likely to be that excellent goal. Great wing play, great finishing.
Great cross from Chloe Kelly and a fine diving header from Lauren Hemp. It had been coming, and City have the lead.
77 min: McCabe is down again. And surely that’s her game over. On comes Maritz for a first match since October.
75 min: Caroline Weir’s free-kick drifts past everyone and Zinsberger does well to keep her eye on the ball and kick the ball away from the line, Pat Jennings-style.
74 min: Kelly’s cross is headed away. Then she forges on, White has a shot blocked. Kelly is knocked over by Walti. A free-kick is won, a soft one, too.
73 min: Arsenal win some breathing time when City concede a free-kick. They’ll need it too.
71 min: Another scramble. Stanway filches the ball, and then White hits the woodwork and Williamson clears. City piling it on.
70 min: Chelsea were beaten by Brighton. Their first defeat in 34 matches.
69 min: City engaging in something of a push. This game has ebbed and flowed. They have a corner at the moment. Greenwood takes it, and there is a frightful scramble. Bronze has a shot kicked off the line and there are another couple of hacks clear. Then Bronze claims to have been fouled in the area but seemed to have left something on McCabe. Bronze is booked.
67 min: McCabe leaves the field. Her problem appears to be muscular rather than a knock. She does return, as she is made of stern stuff.
66 min: McCabe is down again. One too many whacks from Stanway?
65 min: White swings and misses from a Hemp cross. But Arsenal concede a corner.
64 min: A City attack at last. But Lucy Bronze, who has been pretty quiet, lets herself down with a pass that runs out of play. The conditions continue to be testing but that was very out of of character.
63 min: Arsenal continue to push. Chelsea still losing to Brighton. It’s all happening in the WSL.
61 min: McCabe and Stanway clash again, and McCabe goes down. No yellow card as yet.
58 min: This could be a vital last 30 minutes or so in this WSL season. Arsenal look the likelier team at the moment to pull off a win.
Suddenly, there’s an Arsenal break. Roord plays in Foord, who has the time and space to beat Roebuck. Game on.
55 min: City have a free-kick, conceded by Mead. Three balls appear on the field at once before Greenwood’s kick gets lost in the wind. It ends up an easy claim for Zinsberger.
53 min: More shocks in the WSL: Brighton are leading at Chelsea, and that follows Reading beating Manchester United. Well well.
52 min: Arsenal still yet to give Miedema a chance at goal. This time it’s Foord who fails to find her.
51 min: Joe Montemurro is clad in a very thick woolly hat. His flyaway hair is poking out. He has no quiff to break the wind.
50 min: Stanway clatters into McCabe and the Arsenal player goes down in some pain. She will be OK to continue.
49 min: Jill Roord attempts some skill but her fellow Arsenal attackers seem a bit sluggish in their response.
47 min: Steph Houghton misjudges the wind when whacking the ball out wide to Kelly and playing it straight out of play.
46 min: And back away they go. The wind has not dropped at all but the snow has.
The players head back to the pitch, a warm cup of Bovril to the good. City manager Gareth Taylor’s quiff is blown all the way back. Shades of late-1980s Morrissey, just before all the trouble started.
It’s a game that has perhaps reflected the rotten conditions but one moment of class from Ellen White divides the team. Arsenal have knocked on the door but none too convincingly.
45 min: City close out the half with some territory. And a corner. Greenwood swings it in, and it’s headed over. That’s the last action of the half.
43 min: Arsenal press up against City and win the ball back. They have still to create a great chance yet though. Steph Houghton and co look quite comfortable in City’s defence.
41 min: Stanway and White link but Kelly’s shot on Arsenal’s goal is not great.
40 min: Did I say the wind was on City’s side? Roebuck’s goal kick gets caught in a gust of wind and can barely reach the halfway line.
38 min: Ellen White’s attempt is neither cross nor shot but she’s been highly dangerous to Arsenal all afternoon.
37 min: City are building up a a head of steam. They have the wind behind them too…Arsenal get the ball in the net through Roord after Miedema’s pass but she is offside.
36 min: City go close, as Kelly whips in a cross. Hemp just fails to get there.