By OkayGoal
FA WSL · Regular Season – 6 · 17 Oct 2026
Arsenal1 – 1Birmingham City
Olivia Smith 66′Oceane Hurtre 53′
Half-time 0–0 · Venue: Meadow Park · Referee: Stephen Parkinson
Arsenal were held 1-1 by Birmingham City in the Women’s Super League on Saturday 17 October, with Olivia Smith’s equaliser cancelling out Océane Hurtré’s opener at Meadow Park. It leaves Renée Slegers’ side with one win from their first 6 league games.
Hurtré and Herron combine for Birmingham opener
The first half finished goalless. Birmingham broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute, Hurtré scoring from an assist by Neve Grace Herron. It was the visitors’ only shot on target all afternoon.
The lead lasted 13 minutes. Georgia Stanway supplied the pass and Smith finished in the 66th minute to level. Smith was rated 7.97, the highest on the pitch, after 4 shots and 2 key passes across the full 90 minutes.
Both sides then picked up a booking for a foul in quick succession: Stanway in the 70th minute, Herron two minutes later.
27 shots and one goal for Arsenal
The numbers were lopsided. Arsenal had 76% of possession, completed 533 passes to Birmingham’s 130 and attempted 27 shots to 5. Seventeen of those efforts came from inside the box, yet only 4 hit the target, with another 17 going wide.
Expected goals finished at 2.79 for Arsenal and 0.83 for Birmingham. Goalkeeper S. Baggaley made 3 saves for the visitors, while Arsenal’s corner count reached 11 against Birmingham’s 1. Behind the attack, Williamson and Holmberg created 4 chances each.
Arsenal eighth, Birmingham 11th and still winless
Arsenal are eighth with 6 points from 6 matches, a record of 1 win, 3 draws and 2 defeats. Leaders Manchester City have 15 points with a game in hand. Across all competitions, Arsenal have won once in their last six outings, the 1-0 victory over Køge, and are without a win in four since.
Birmingham are 11th on 3 points. All three have come from draws. This was only their second draw in six matches in all competitions, the other four ending in defeat, including a 4-3 loss to Liverpool and a 2-1 loss to Everton.
The point also breaks a poor run against Arsenal. Before Saturday, Birmingham had lost four of the previous five meetings, their only win in that spell a 2-0 home victory on 9 January 2022. The most recent encounter, on 6 March 2022, ended in a 4-2 Arsenal win.
Birmingham switch to the WSL Cup next, travelling to Durham on Wednesday 21 October. Arsenal visit fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who have 10 points, in the league on Saturday 24 October.
📷 Meadow Park: Matt Churchill, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
