Chelsea beat Arsenal 1-0 at Stamford Bridge this afternoon to go nine points clear at the top of the Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) table.
A closely contested London derby saw Chelsea continue their unbeaten run, whilst Arsenal’s came to an end. The Blues took the lead through a Guro Reiten penalty in the 84th minute, with Katie McCabe shown a red card in the aftermath leaving the Gunners to fight for an equaliser a player down.
Lauren James made an instant impact after coming back into Sonia Bompastor’s squad after a period of injury, starting on the bench. Meanwhile, Renée Slegers opted to start Mariona Caldentey in the attacking midfield, with Lia Wälti dropping to the bench after being withdrawn at half-time during Arsenal’s Wednesday night victory over Brighton.
The Lineups
CHE: Hampton; Bronze, Bright, Björn, Charles; Nüsken, Cuthbert; Kaneryd, Macario, Baltimore; Ramírez
ARS: van Domselaar; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Little, Cooney-Cross; Foord, Mariona, Mead; Russo
The Action
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd had the first shot of the game inside the first two minutes, after Kyra Cooney-Cross lost possession on the outskirts of the box. Arsenal were in danger again just moments later after a lapse in communication between Daphne van Domselaar and Leah Williamson saw a loose ball almost pounced on by Mayra Ramírez.
After a spell of domination for Chelsea as Arsenal found it difficult keep hold of the ball, the Gunners found their feet and were through with a chance of their own when Cooney-Cross’ excellent ball picked out Beth Mead at the back post.
Alessia Russo looked to capitalise on a lacklustre Chelsea back-pass in the 23rd minute, her solid effort narrowly missing the target. The deadlock was nearly broken again a few minutes later when Katie McCabe crossed it to Mead, whose close-range shot was out for an Arsenal corner.
The guests pursued further opportunities as the half-an-hour mark approached, another stellar Cooney-Cross ball moved on by Kim Little to Emily Fox, whose strike was saved comfortably by Hannah Hampton.
Macario came agonisingly close to finding the opener for Chelsea in the 36th minute, spinning well after Arsenal failed to clear Niamh Charles’ cross, but van Domselaar’s proactive stop denied the low shot.
Forced into a change before half-time as Caitlin Foord went off injured, Slegers brought on Frida Maanum to play down the right before the opening half stalemate drew to a close.
Chelsea emerged from the tunnel after the interval looking like the better side. Substitute Maika Hamano competed with excellence in a tight area to give Kaneryd plenty of space to take her shot inside the box, but van Domselaar was able to gather to keep things level. Sjoeke Nüsken then tried to make the most of another Arsenal turnover, but her long-range effort was wide.
Arsenal’s first big chance of the second half came in the 74th minute. Chelsea were unable to clear a loose ball in the box, and Maanum nearly made the largest of impacts when she took her hit. The strike almost found the top corner, but somehow stayed out and there was yet to be a goal at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea retaliated, and a Macario free kick was almost put away by the head of Lucy Bronze.
A concurrent James fast-break put Arsenal in imminent danger, and the untracked substitute was eventually brought down inside the area by Little to win a penalty. The aftermath saw McCabe contentiously sent off. Reiten stepped up to the spot for the hosts, slotting it past van Domselaar to put Chelsea ahead.
With six minutes of time added on, Arsenal were unable to find the back of the net. A valiant performance came to a heartbreaking end for Slegers’ side, whilst Bompastor’s rejoiced in a tight derby day victory.
Chelsea Player Ratings
Hannah Hampton – 7/10 – The goalkeeper gathered well under pressure, not having too much asked of her.
Lucy Bronze – 8/10 – The right-back brings a further competitive edge to Chelsea, kicking off some good examples of build-up play from the back.
Millie Bright – 8/10 – The Chelsea captain is always a strong presence at the back, looking to guide her team through a pivotal fixture.
Natalie Björn – 8/10 – The centre-back was alert to the attacking prowess of Russo, doing some good defensive work to mitigate the risks.
Niamh Charles – 8/10 – The left-back was always looking to move forward, linking up well with Baltimore and making some key blocks in front of Hampton’s goal for her side. She also put in some positive crosses for her teammates inside the area.
Sjoeke Nüsken – 8/10 – In the midfield, Chelsea were consistently the better side. Nüsken’s versatility becomes evident in a close game like this, and she stays consistent when challenged, patiently taking her chances to move the ball forward when they come.
Erin Cuthbert – 9/10 – The midfielder is an incredibly strong opposition to come up against, and did well to keep control of the area. Most of Chelsea’s big chances came from her well-timed runs forward, as she was allowed too much space by the Gunners.
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd – 8/10 – Brimming with drive and confidence, Kaneryd is a real danger upfront. A powerhouse of a forward, she was everywhere and was arguably unlucky not to see her early effort go in.
Catarina Macario – 8/10 – Coming up against a challenge in the her USWNT teammate in Fox, Macario found ways to progress, and did well to drop back as necessary. Her set-piece delivery is also impressive, as she utilised lower balls hoping to find a finisher.
Sandy Baltimore – 9/10 – Proving to be an attacking force for Chelsea, Baltimore’s creativity was a challenge for Arsenal’s backline to contain. The work rate exhibited by Baltimore against another top side is exceptional. Came off in the 58th minute.
Mayra Ramírez – 7/10 – Ramírez knows her role, and executes it with a strong awareness, but struggled to gain possession enough to make an impact today.
Substitutes
Maika Hamano – 9/10 – Came on at half-time. Hamano’s technical ability and determination to stay collected under pressure is immense, and meant Chelsea started the second half as strong as they did the first.
Lauren James – 7/10 – Came on in the 58th minute. A truly excellent forward, James is a worry for any defender when she weaves into the box, winning a penalty for Chelsea in the 81st minute.
Aggie Beever-Jones – 6/10 – A quiet afternoon for the forward after she came off the bench.
Guro Reiten – 8/10 – Scored the penalty to win the game, but otherwise not much time to make a huge impact.
Arsenal Player Ratings
Daphne van Domselaar – 7/10 – The goalkeeper did not look at her most confident after a fast start to the clash, but like her teammates she looked more comfortable as the match progressed. Made some key saves later on in the day.
Emily Fox – 8/10 – The right-back catalysed attacking motions from the offset and defended well.
Leah Williamson – 7/10 – Making her 250th appearance for the club, the centre-back was well-composed for her side.
Steph Catley – 8/10 – Playing at centre-back, the Australian’s experience and ability to compete against the strongest of oppositions shone in the opening minutes of the game. Catley continued to be crucial to Arsenal’s defence, her composure and leadership qualities making themselves known.
Katie McCabe – 5/10 – Starting at left-back, McCabe made some significant clearances for Arsenal as they endured a relentless Chelsea side. She also wins the ball back extremely well higher up the pitch, and puts in some great crosses. Received a red card for dissent very late in the game, which was extremely costly for her side.
Kim Little – 6/10 – The Arsenal captain put on an uncharacteristically wavering show, struggling to keep up with the physicality of the game.
Kyra Cooney-Cross – 8/10 – The midfielder has work to do defensively, but her competitive nature and creativity going forward were hugely important this afternoon. She generated more than one key chance for the Gunners.
Caitlin Foord – 6/10 – On the wing, it was a relatively quiet first half for Foord. An unremarkable performance but not a negative one. Substituted off before half-time due to injury.
Mariona Caldentey – 7/10 – Starting in the number 10 role, it was a somewhat quiet game for the Spanish international. Arsenal turned over possession in a central area far too often which made it difficult for the attacker to capitalise.
Beth Mead – 7/10 – The winger’s defensive efforts should not go unnoticed, as she was called into action more than once to help nullify the threat of Baltimore. Mead showed glimpses of a forward’s instinct, but failed to produce the final touch. Came off in the 65th minute.
Alessia Russo – 7/10 – The striker kept Chelsea on their toes, constantly working hard to get into the right spaces. Russo also fights for the ball further down the field, a valuable quality against a fast-paced Chelsea side.
Substitutes
Frida Maanum – 8/10 – Came on before half-time. Knew where she needed to be and could have done real damage to Chelsea in the final 20 minutes.
Stina Blackstenius – 6/10 – Came on in the 65th minute. Not a particularly poor performance, but struggled a bit to make a real impact.
Lotte Wubben-Moy – N/A – Not enough minutes to make a fair judgement.
Rosa Kafaji – N/A – Not enough minutes to make a fair judgement.
The Halfway Line Player of the Match: Erin Cuthbert
Always a force for Chelsea, Cuthbert was immense for the home side. Her control and composure in a physical, closely fought game is almost unparalleled. Her efforts were key for the Blues across the pitch.
