ARSENAL edged closer to winning their first Women’s Super League since 2012 after beating Birmingham 1-0, in what proved to be a cagey afternoon for the league leaders.

The Gunners were four points clear after the final whistle until Manchester City closed the gap to a point when they overcame Liverpool hours later, thanks to Jen Beattie’s last-minute winner.

And Arsenal’s winner at Meadow Park came with 10 minutes to go when Katie McCabe found the bottom left-hand corner from the edge of the box, minutes after coming close from the same area of the pitch.

This was the first game for Birmingham in 39 days and it showed as the home side started slowly.

Though they held Arsenal for 80 minutes, Arsenal looked dangerous throughout in wide areas and Hannah Hampton did brilliantly in the Birmingham goal to deny Vivianne Miedema, who should have done better with her chance.

Arsenal should have been a goal up midway through the first half when from a cross Dannielle Van de Donk headed back across goal and Dominique Bloodworth bundled Hampton over, with the ball, only to see Aoife Mannion’s clearance hit the underside of the bar and somehow not cross the line.

Minutes later, Van Der Donk’s unselfish play let Birmingham off the hook. Through on goal, the Dutch star played in Miedema who again forced a save from Hampton.

Ellen White looked the most dangerous for the home side and her shot from the right-hand side of the box forced Pauline Peyraud-Magnin to tip the shot round the post.

The wind throughout the opening 45 minutes caused havoc for both sides and Hampton was nearly caught out seven minutes from the break when McCabe’s left-footed cross/shot was destined for the top right-hand corner.

The goalkeeper was quick to back-pedal and tip the ball over the bar.

Arsenal were guilty of over-playing at times and would have headed into the dressing room at half-time confused as to how they were still drawing the game.

The second-half started as the first ended, with the away side on the front foot and asking all the questions, but still failing to capitalise on the chances they were creating.

Van De Donk stumbled in the area and the few half-hearted appeals for a penalty from the Reds were ignored by the referee.

The Gunners were becoming more and more desperate as the minutes ticked away, the home side winning free-kicks in dangerous areas but unable to make the set-pieces count.

Just when Birmingham thought they could hold on, McCabe broke the deadlock with just over 10 minutes remaining.

She went close with a similar effort minutes before, after Kim Little found her after a driving run through the middle of the park.

This time the impressive Van De Donk slipped in McCabe, who cut in from the right and found the bottom left corner with a powerful strike, beating Hampton — who knew she could have done slightly better.

The striker almost doubled the lead moments later, only to see Hampton get her fingertips to the ball and tip over.

Arsenal held on to secure Champion’s League football next season, while Birmingham remain fourth.

Chelsea’s 1-1 draw against West Ham saw Emma Hayes’s side stay third, six points behind Manchester City and seven ahead of Birmingham.