Goals from Beth Mead on either side of Alessia Russo's strike confirmed Women's Champions League football for Arsenal as Jonas Eidevall's side recorded a 3-0 win over Leicester City on Sunday afternoon.
Mead broke a turgid deadlock in front of 42,820 fans at the Emirates Stadium shortly before half-time as the England striker started and finished a sumptuous move with Caitlin Foord providing the assist.
The Foxes remained firmly in the match as Arsenal struggled in front of goal until Russo tucked a shot beyond goalkeeper Lize Kop with 15 minutes remaining. The goal marked Russo's sixth in seven appearances at the Emirates Stadium and her ninth goal this season to put her fourth in the overall goal-scoring standings.
Russo's goal all but confirmed a third-place finish for the Gunners, but to emphasise the point, Mead added a third goal three minutes later following Russo's header.
Arsenal could've swelled their goal tally further, not least through the returning Frida Maanum who arrived as a second-half substitute to immense applause just three weeks after collapsing on the pitch during her side's 1-0 League Cup final victory over Chelsea.
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Even so, Sunday's victory means Arsenal keep the pressure on Chelsea and Manchester City at the top of the WSL with the title race still technically intact despite six points separating Arsenal and leaders City.
The Gunners had a comfortable gap between themselves and fourth-place Manchester United heading into Sunday's contest but the latest victory also means Arsenal can avenge their early exit from the Champions League at the start of the season.
Beth Mead celebrates scoring for Arsenal (Photo by Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)After reaching the semi-finals of the competition last season, Arsenal suffered a shock early exit in Champions League qualification this campaign as they went out in the first round of qualifying to Paris FC after a dramatic penalty shoot-out.
The exit was one of many historic European heavyweights to go out in the early stages. Manchester United, relishing their first Champions League campaign this season after finishing second in the WSL last season ahead of Arsenal, went out in the second round of qualifying to current semi-finalists Paris Saint-Germain to ensure that only Chelsea would represent England in the competition.
Arsenal's clinching of the third-place spot in the WSL table means that for the last eight of the last nine WSL seasons, the top three spaces have been claimed by Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea.
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