Arsenal ended Manchester City's 13-game winning streak in the Women's Super League with a 1-0 victory that boosted their own hopes of a top-three finish.

Olivia Smith's early strike inflicted City's first WSL defeat since the opening day of the season and prevented the visitors from extending their lead at the top of the table to 11 points.

Arsenal were not in WSL action last weekend because of their participation in the inaugural Fifa Champions Cup, and the home side looked buoyed after adding more silverware to an already bursting cabinet.

City forward Vivianne Miedema went close to scoring against her former side after just 11 seconds, but Arsenal dominated thereafter and limited the runway league leaders to counter-attacking opportunities.

Smith got the winner in the 17th minute with Arsenal's first real chance; the Canadian winger won a race with City defender Rebecca Knaak to reach Mariona Caldentey's sublime through ball, rounded goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita and slotted into the empty goal.

The Gunners continued to utilise Smith's blistering pace against City's high defensive line, and Yamashita was at full stretch to keep out an Alessia Russo strike just before half-time.

City were improved in a second half of few chances and found the back of the net through Miedema, but the whistle had gone for a tug on Katie McCabe.

Arsenal were perhaps fortunate not to go down to 10 players - Caldentey was the last defender and appeared to clip Hemp as she raced towards the penalty area, but the referee waved play on.

Hemp's shanked effort from 10 yards summed up City's afternoon; their lead at the top of the table is now eight points with seven games remaining, with Arsenal 10 points behind with a game in hand.

When Arsenal were beaten in the Women's League Cup semi-finals by Manchester United less than three weeks ago, it felt like their season was in danger of drifting into mediocrity.

Triumph in the Champions Cup over Corinthians seven days ago was dismissed by some, but winning silverware on home soil seems to have buoyed a side who looked to be running out of ideas.

Not only did Renee Slegers' side play with energy and purpose in front of a bumper home crowd, they also took advantage of City's two main weaknesses.

Two weeks ago, London City Lionesses exploited the lack of pace at the heart of the City defence, and on Sunday that task fell to Smith. Eventually the visitors combated her threat in behind by having goalkeeper Yamashita adopt a high starting position, but by then the damage had been done.

On the other side of the ball, Arsenal stifled City's build-up play by targeting midfielder Yui Hasegawa with high intensity pressing. City had to try to bypass midfield with long balls up to attack, but they were dealt with comfortably.

After feeling she had let her team-mates down by getting sent off in the League Cup defeat, Smith once again showed why Arsenal spent £1m on her.

The 21-year-old has only scored four league goals this term, but three of those have come in her past four outings. Next season she could be a real threat from the start.

While the Gunners are 10 points off the pace in the WSL title race, they remain one of the favourites in both the Champions League and the FA Cup.

It could yet be another highly successful season.

Though defeat shouldn't hurt City too much, there is no denying this was a disappointingly pedestrian performance.

After putting five past Chelsea last week, Khadija Shaw, Hemp and Kerolin hardly had a sniff. City attempted eight shots – just one of which was on target – fewer than they have mustered in any WSL match this season.

To his credit, City boss Andree Jeglertz wasted little time in trying to overturn Arsenal's midfield dominance.

The half-time introduction of midfielder Sam Coffey allowed City to sure up the middle of the field and enjoy longer spells of possession, but still they were unable to fashion clear chances.

This felt like the kind of game the £600,000 January signing Coffey was brought in for, as she provided physicality that Laura Blindkilde Brown could not.

The lack of pace in central defence remains an issue for which Jeglertz has yet to find a solution. Controlling possession would be a sound preventative measure, but against Arsenal's relentless press, that just was not possible.

This is the first time City have failed to score in a WSL match under Jeglertz, such has been their ruthlessness in front of goal since his appointment.

Baring a spectacular collapse, this defeat will be a minor blot in an otherwise excellent season which will surely end with their second WSL title.

Arsenal's defence of their European title continues on Wednesday when they travel to Belgium to face Leuven in the first leg of their Champions League knockout play-off round tie (17:45 GMT). Slegers' side return to WSL action away to Brighton on Sunday, 15 February (14:30 GMT).

City host Leicester in their next WSL match on Friday (19:00).

Head here to get involved