A calamitous late penalty conceded by Leah Williamson saw Arsenal Women surrender a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Paris FC in the Women's Champions League. The result leaves the Gunners with just two wins from six matches this season and piles pressure on manager Renee Slegers ahead of a key Women's Super League clash.

Alessia Russo ended her goalscoring drought by opening the scoring in the 41st minute, with Georgia Stanway adding a second five minutes after half-time for her first Arsenal goal since her summer move. Arsenal's control evaporated when Clara Mateo pulled one back for the hosts on the counter-attack in the 72nd minute. The decisive moment arrived with just three minutes of normal time remaining.

The decisive incident

Williamson handled the ball inside her own penalty area after a goal kick from goalkeeper Misa. The vice-captain believed she was restarting play, but the referee judged the ball was in play when it was kicked and clearly moved. Maeline Mendy converted the resulting 87th-minute spot-kick to secure a 2-2 draw for Paris FC.

Assistant coach Aaron D'Antino, who attended the post-match press conference, defended Williamson's actions. He stated the team did not believe it was a penalty, arguing the goal kick had not properly been taken and the ball was still being passed for Williamson to take the set-piece as usual. He further explained that the team's analysis showed the goalkeeper's foot was not correctly positioned on the ball, which in their view meant the restart was not complete.

Broader context and pressure

This draw adds to a mixed start for Arsenal, who now sit seventh in the WSL with five points from four games. They are a significant seven points behind league leaders Manchester City, who have a perfect record of 12 points. The team's recent form across all competitions now reads one win, three draws, and one loss from their last five outings.

With a trip to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City next on 4 October, defeat could effectively end their title ambitions for this campaign. The full squad will need to be at its best for that encounter. The pressure is particularly acute given the current seven-point gap to the summit, a deficit that could widen to ten with a loss in the upcoming fixture.

First reported at Daily Mail Sport