VIDEO: Arsenal star Leah Williamson concedes 'freak' late penalty as Paris FC fight back to shock Gunners in Champions League
Gunners surrender commanding lead in Paris
Arsenal appeared to be cruising toward a vital European victory after establishing a two-goal cushion early in the second half. Following a difficult run in the Women's Super League, the North London side looked revitalised in the French capital. Alessia Russo opened the scoring in the 41st minute, finishing clinically from the edge of the area after some slick interplay with Georgia Stanway.
The momentum remained firmly with the visitors after the interval. Stanway, a summer arrival from Bayern Munich, doubled the advantage in the 50th minute by ghosting into the six-yard box unmarked. The midfielder showed great composure to fire home a volley, marking her first goal for the club.
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Mateo sparks unexpected French revival
Paris FC refused to be intimidated by their more illustrious opponents and began to exert pressure as the second half progressed. The comeback started in the 72nd minute when captain Clara Mateo spearheaded a devastating counter-attack, breaking clear of the backline before coolly rounding goalkeeper Misa and slotting into an empty net.
The tension grew as Slegers' side retreated deeper into their own half, inviting pressure from the home side. Arsenal had previously managed only one victory in their first four league fixtures, and that lack of confidence began to manifest in their decision-making.
Williamson involved in bizarre penalty incident
With only three minutes of regulation time remaining, disaster struck for the Gunners in the most unexpected fashion. After Arsenal were awarded a goal kick, Misa played a short pass to Williamson. The England captain, seemingly believing the ball was not yet live or intending to retake the kick herself, reached down and picked up the ball to reposition it. However, referee Iuliana Demetrescu had already blown her whistle to resume play, leaving the official with no choice but to point to the spot for a bizarre handball.
The mistake stunned the Arsenal players, who surrounded the official to protest the decision, but the call stood. Substitute Maeline Mendy stepped up under immense pressure and maintained her composure, firing the spot-kick into the bottom corner. The late equaliser completed a remarkable turnaround for Paris FC and left the Arsenal players shell-shocked.
