Arsenal Women 1-0 Leicester City Women: Frida Maanum's superb strike seals Gunners win

The apical 3 successful the Women's Super League suffice for the Champions League

Arsenal tin "100%" triumph the Women's Super League rubric aft triumph against Leicester connected Friday moved them wrong six points of leaders Manchester United, says Gunners defender Jen Beattie.

The Gunners are 2 points disconnected the apical 3 but Beattie says the players are aiming higher.

"100%, wherefore not?" she said erstwhile asked astir winning the title.

"We showed against Wolfsburg what we tin bash successful Europe and it is recognition to the girls plugging done and getting results similar tonight.

"100% we tin bash it."

It had looked similar being a frustrating nighttime for the hosts aft Katie McCabe saw an aboriginal punishment saved.

But aft Maanum struck they finished powerfully and the Norwegian besides struck the crossbar precocious connected with a free-kick.

Leicester, warring to enactment successful the WSL, had fewer chances but Sam Tierney saw a bully header held by Sabrina D'Angelo earlier Arsenal struck.

Arsenal stay 4th aft the triumph but person a crippled successful manus implicit first-place Manchester United and Manchester City successful second.

Leicester, meanwhile, are 10th, 2 points disconnected the bottommost of the table.

Gunners bounce backmost aft European disappointment

This was the perfect effect by Arsenal aft they saw their European hopes ended connected Monday with an extra-time decision to Wolfsburg successful 2nd limb of their Champions League semi-final.

But for a agelong clip it looked similar it was not going to beryllium their night, with Janina Leitzig giving Leicester anticipation erstwhile she stopped McCabe's aboriginal penalty.

From past connected Arsenal dominated possession but struggled to crook that into clear-cut chances, and the fewer they did make were comfy for Leitzig.

But determination was thing the Leicester goalkeeper could bash erstwhile Maanum was fixed excessively overmuch abstraction connected the borderline of the container and she took afloat vantage with a precision onslaught retired of Leitzig's reach.

It was a must-win crippled for Arsenal arsenic they look to ascent into the apical 3 and guarantee Champions League shot again adjacent season.

Asked what winning the rubric would mean, Beattie added connected Sky Sports: "It would mean everything.

"From what everyone's fixed passim the season, the injuries we've had, the mode we've rallied astir each different arsenic a squad and a group.

"We cognize this team's got truthful overmuch to springiness and I deliberation winning the Conti Cup earlier successful the play helped america massively.

"It would mean everything to the girls that are injured, the girls that are playing present and everyone down the scenes."

Leicester amusement fight

Leicester had won conscionable 4 of their 18 games earlier the travel to Arsenal but 2 of those had travel successful their past 2 outings - a 2-1 triumph against Reading and a 4-0 thrashing of Liverpool past play - to springiness them existent anticipation of staying successful the WSL.

A effect against Arsenal was ever going to beryllium pugnacious but for a agelong portion it looked similar they would instrumentality a well-earned constituent arsenic they held retired the Gunners for implicit an hour.

In the end, Arsenal's idiosyncratic prime told but the combat Leicester showed volition springiness them anticipation of picking up the points they request successful their remaining games to enactment up.