Published: 16:51, 12 October 2025 | Updated: 16:51, 12 October 2025

Arsenal women secured a much-needed win against Brighton to keep their WSL title dreams alive... just about.

Olivia Smith’s deflected shot off Marisa Olislagers was enough to see the three points over the line in front of a nervy 27,000-strong Emirates crowd.

While the gap between the fifth-placed Gunners and league-leaders Chelsea remains at five points, defeat would surely have spelled the end for Renee Slegers’ side even this early in the season, such are the fine margins that typically decide the WSL title race.

Daily Mail Sport’s women’s football reporter Tara Anson-Walsh was at the Emirates to witness all the action...

PANIC STATIONS OVER?

The pressure was mounting on this Arsenal side ahead of kick-off, having failed to win any of their previous three league games – drawing with Manchester United and Aston Villa, and losing to Manchester City. Only once before had they gone four league games without a win, back in 2014 when they failed to pick up three points in their first four matches of the season.

To...