Arsenal snatches stoppage-time equalizer to deny Eva Olid her first United win

She almost had it. Eva Olid was one final whistle away from picking up her first win as Manchester United manager, but English women's soccer dealt her one of those blows that only make sense with the clock running down. In the fifth minute of stoppage time, with a 1-0 scoreline already all but locked in at Old Trafford, Smilla Holmberg popped up to make it 1-1 against Arsenal and spoil the party for the home side.

The match had been an exercise in patience for a United side that sat in deep blocks for long stretches against an Arsenal team that dominated possession. The payoff came in the 67th minute: Julia Zigiotti Olme read a poor pass from Georgia Stanway perfectly, found herself one on one with Misa Rodríguez, and slotted the ball through the goalkeeper's legs to make it 1-0. It looked like enough to hand Olid her first win on the bench.

But Arsenal never let up. Leah Williamson sent a long, precise cross to the far post, and Holmberg was there to tap it in and level the score just as the match was slipping away. It was a gut punch for the Manchester side, left without the win they so badly needed.

Fallout in the standings

Arsenal now sits in fourth place, having drawn its second straight match. For United, though, there's some relative comfort: that point lifts the club off the bottom of the Women's Super League table and gives it its first point of the season.

Meanwhile, at the top of the table Chelsea kept taking care of business. Goals from Lexi Potter and Melvine Malard secured a 2-0 win over Birmingham, moving the Londoners up to second place, just two points behind leaders Manchester City.

Right behind Chelsea is another name turning heads this season: the London City Lionesses, who climbed into third place after thrashing Charlton 4-1 on the road. The result drops the newly promoted Charlton to the bottom of the table, in worse shape even than United, who at least have their draw to show for it.

The match at Charlton was an early showcase for the Lionesses. Isobel Goodwin scored twice to make it 2-0 before the first 15 minutes had even elapsed. Charlton pulled one back through Jodie Hutton in the 39th minute, a well-taken finish that cut the deficit before halftime, but Jana Fernández answered almost immediately to restore the two-goal cushion for the visitors right before the break.

In the second half, any hope of a comeback was buried when German forward Nicole Anyomi netted the Lionesses' fourth goal in the 76th minute, sealing a result that underlines the London club's strong start to the season and deals a harsh blow to a Charlton side that has yet to find its footing back in the top flight.