Katie McCabe scored a superb winner for Arsenal against Manchester City in the Women’s Super League – just four days after being forced to leave the Emirates on crutches.
The Gunners defeated Bayern Munich to reach the Women’s Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday but the Republic of Ireland international came off injured late on and was spotted in a protective boot after the game.
McCabe was forced to undergo a scan the following day and was expected to miss Arsenal’s crucial WSL match against City.
Yet, the 27-year-old appears to be built differently from your average human. Not only did she play the full 90 minutes against City – she scored a screamer to secure all three points for Jonas Eidevall’s team.
Even the official Arsenal Women Twitter account couldn’t help but joke about McCabe’s remarkable recovery – sharing images of the Irish star limping off against Bayern, before adding a screenshot of the full-time result against City.
“Call an ambulance… BUT NOT FOR ME,” the post was captioned.
City were on top in the first half and the in-form Khadija Shaw gave them a deserved lead in just the fifth minute.
Lauren Hemp then had the chance to double City’s advantage but sliced her shot over the bar from close range.
It proved to be costly as a reinvigorated Arsenal came out stronger in the second half and equalised through Frida Maanum in the 62nd minute.
With 15 minutes to play, the Gunners took a short corner and fed the ball into the path of McCabe. The winger then beautifully curled the ball into the top left, leaving goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck with no chance.
Check out McCabe’s fine strike below:
VIDEO: Katie McCabe’s screamer vs Man City
This year’s WSL title race is one of the best in recent memory with four teams in genuine contention.
Manchester United are top of the league on 41 points but Arsenal’s win puts them second on 38 points with an extra fixture in hand.
City are level with the Gunners but have played a game more, while Chelsea are fourth on 35 points, though they have only played 15 matches.
The Blues are hoping to claim their fourth WSL title in a row and are also seeking their first European silverware.
Similarly, Arsenal have also made the last four of the Champions League and Eidevall will be forced to rotate his squad if Arsenal are to stand a chance of winning a memorable double.