Manchester City produced a stunning WSL comeback at the Etihad Stadium, defeating Arsenal 4-2 in a six-goal thriller that leaves Gunners head coach Renée Slegers facing serious questions about her side's form.

City twice found themselves behind on the afternoon, yet rallied on both occasions to eventually pull clear and claim all three points in some style. It is the kind of resilience that will delight the home supporters and deepen the gloom on the red side of this fixture.

A match that swung in City's favour

Arsenal made the brighter start and found the net to go ahead, only for City to level and then do it all over again — going behind a second time before eventually taking control of the contest. By the final whistle, the scoreline painted a picture of City's dominance in the second half, with four goals underlining just how clinical they were when it mattered most.

Lauren Hemp was amongst those to reflect on the performance afterwards, describing the effort as one where the squad fought for every ball — a phrase that captures the spirit with which City approached a game that could easily have slipped away from them twice over.

Pressure mounts on Slegers and Arsenal

For Arsenal and Slegers, this result arrives at a difficult time. The Gunners are struggling to find the consistency their manager demands, and the noises out of north London suggest patience may be wearing thin. Slegers has already been in the headlines this week after apologising for missing post-match media duties following a UEFA Women's Champions League fixture, a small detail that, in the context of a run of poor results, adds to the sense of a club under pressure.

Two goals is not a flattering deficit at any level of the game, but twice going ahead and still losing 4-2 on the road speaks to a fragility at the back that Slegers must address urgently. The manner in which City came through the gears in the second half will be particularly difficult viewing for Arsenal's coaching staff.

City growing into title contenders

From a City perspective, this is the sort of result that marks them out as genuine WSL title contenders. Coming from behind once is admirable; doing it twice in the same fixture, against one of the division's traditional heavyweights, is the hallmark of a side that believes in itself.

The Etihad atmosphere played its part, and City's collective energy in the closing stages was clear. Hemp's comments post-match suggested a squad fully committed to the cause — and with performances like this, they will be difficult to dislodge from the upper reaches of the table as the season develops.

Arsenal, meanwhile, must regroup quickly. The WSL is an unforgiving division, and dropping points to a rival in this fashion will do nothing to ease the pressure building around the Gunners camp. Whether Slegers gets the time and space to turn things around remains one of the more pressing questions in the women's game right now.

Frequently asked

What was the score between Man City and Arsenal in the WSL?
Manchester City beat Arsenal 4-2 at the Etihad Stadium in the Women's Super League, with City coming from behind twice to seal the win.
Is Renée Slegers under pressure at Arsenal Women?
Yes. The 4-2 defeat to Manchester City adds to a difficult run of results for Arsenal, and scrutiny on Slegers as head coach is growing following a series of underwhelming performances.
Where can I watch WSL highlights in the UK?
WSL highlights are available on BBC Sport's website and app, as well as on the BBC iPlayer, though some content is restricted to UK users only.