Arsenal Women’s nightmare start to the 2026/27 season just hit a new low, as a truly bizarre penalty call against Paris FC in the 87th minute forced them to settle for a frustrating 2-2 draw on Wednesday evening. This team just cannot catch a break, or maybe they’re just making their own bad luck.
Another Blown Lead, Another Dropped Point
Talk about things going sideways early in a campaign. After kicking off their season with a solid 1-0 victory over Brighton, the Gunners have completely lost their way, failing to grab a single win in any of their subsequent three league matches. They’re already sitting way back in seventh position, a full seven points behind the leaders, Manchester City. Even in the Champions League, it took a 93rd-minute penalty from Mariona Caldentey just to barely sneak past HB Koge at home in their league phase opener.
Wednesday looked like it might finally be their turnaround, though. Goals from Alessia Russo and Georgia Stanway, one before and one after halftime, put Arsenal in a commanding 2-0 lead against Paris FC on the road. This was supposed to be the momentum-booster they so desperately needed in the midst of a truly difficult start to the 2026/27 season.
The Wild Play That Absolutely Stunned Everyone
But then, chaos. Clara Mateo pulled one back for Paris FC in the 72nd minute, setting up a nervy finish. Then, in the 85th minute, Leah Williamson found herself in the middle of a blunder that was just plain head-scratching. Arsenal’s goalkeeper, Misa, had carried the ball from out of play, over the end line, and into her own six-yard box before placing it on the ground. As the ball literally stopped rolling, she kicked it sideways to Williamson.
Now, Williamson genuinely thought Misa wasn’t trying to restart play there. She figured she was supposed to take the goal kick herself, so what did she do? She grabbed the ball with her hands to move it to the edge of the six-yard box and restart play herself! Except, Romanian official Juliana Elena Demetrescu saw it totally different. The referee interpreted Misa’s lateral kick as a valid restart of play, which meant Williamson’s grab was a handball offence right inside the penalty area. Maeline Mendy then stepped up and buried the spot-kick, leveling the score at 2-2.
Seriously, what a wild call. There was zero pressure on either Arsenal player, with Paris FC having completely dropped back into midfield. Referees are supposed to have leeway for common sense judgments that align with the spirit of the rules, but Demetrescu went strictly “letter-of-the-law” on this one. It was a highly controversial decision, and it flat-out stole a victory from the Gunners.
This kind of bizarre call, especially when a team is already scrambling, just feels like a gut punch. Arsenal is stuck in seventh place, a full seven points off the pace, and blowing a 2-0 lead like that, thanks to a call like this, just digs their early season hole even deeper. They desperately need to find a way to shake off these wild moments if they want to turn this 2026/27 campaign around. The pressure is on, big time.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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