Holmberg rescues late draw for Arsenal as Manchester United claim first point under Olid

Arsenal were rescued by a 95th-minute equaliser from Smilla Holmberg to earn a 1-1 draw with Manchester United at the Emirates on 19 September 2026, a result that also gave Eva Olid’s side the first point of her tenure.

Arsenal’s late leveller will not allay growing concerns about their start to the campaign: they sit four points behind defending champions Manchester City after three rounds of fixtures, with City maintaining a 100% record so far and having dropped points only four times last season. Chelsea and London City Lionesses also moved up the Women’s Super League table on the weekend; Chelsea beat Birmingham 2-0 courtesy of Lexi Potter’s eighth-minute strike and Melvine Malard’s 71st-minute goal, while London City recorded a 4-1 win at Charlton with a double from Isobel Goodwin and a 76th-minute finish from Nicole Anyomi.

Arsenal fashioned several openings in the first half but were repeatedly denied: Lisa Baum shot straight at Phallon Tullis-Joyce early on and supplied dangerous crosses from the left, Mariona Caldentey curled just wide, and Tullis-Joyce made a save to keep out Stina Blackstenius’ header shortly before the interval. Manchester United’s Elisabeth Terland came closest for the visitors in that period, only to be stopped twice by Misa Rodríguez in quick succession.

The breakthrough arrived after the break following an error by Georgia Stanway as she attempted a pass back toward Steph Catley; the ball ran to Julia Zigiotti Olme, who stepped around Catley and slotted home through the legs of Rodríguez to give United the lead. From that point United defended deep and withstood sustained Arsenal pressure, clearing several set-piece threats as the hosts pushed for an equaliser.

Arsenal’s persistence paid in stoppage time when Leah Williamson played a deep diagonal ball into the box and the substitute Smilla Holmberg met it at the back post to level the match. The crowd erupted as Holmberg’s finish earned Arsenal a point and Manchester United’s players fell to their knees at the full-time whistle.

The result compounds scrutiny on Arsenal after a goalless draw at home to Crystal Palace last weekend and a run in which they had scored just one goal from 43 shots across their opening two league fixtures. Manchester United, widely criticised following defeats to London City Lionesses and Chelsea, produced an encouraging defensive display and an against-the-run-of-play goal from Zigiotti Olme that will buy the former Hearts manager Olid time to continue her work.

Arsenal now face back-to-back away league fixtures against Chelsea and Manchester City amid the start of their Women’s Champions League campaign, a sequence the club say makes their title bid more challenging following this result.