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1 week ago
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The WSL is not a three-tier league, it’s a four-tier one, because the reality is that Chelsea are operating in a league of their own. A 1-0 win for Sonia Bompastor’s side over closest rivals Arsenal means they remain unbeaten and sit top with a surely unassailable nine-point lead.
To rub salt in the wounds, Naomi Girma, a player US manager Emma Hayes described as the best defender she’s ever seen and a player Arsenal were priced out of the running for, was unveiled to the fans on the Stamford Bridge pitch prior to kick-off, her recruitment to an already stacked side symbolic of the gap between the Blues and the rest.
It wasn’t totally straightforward for the hosts, they needed their bench to navigate their way past a resurgent Gunners, Lauren James providing the impetus off the bench, forcing Kim Little into conceding a penalty that fellow substitute Guro Reiten would convert to deliver victory, Katie McCabe sent off for dissent in the process.
This was supposed to be Arsenal’s chance to exorcise the ghost of their poor start to the season, the apex of which was a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in the reverse fixture, a loss that would trigger Jonas Eidevall’s resignation three days later and begin the ‘Reneeissance’. The Gunners were unbeaten under interim turned permanent manager Renee Slegers, having won 12 of their 13 games and scored 40 goals in all competitions since Eidevall’s exit.
Win, and the gap would close to four points, lose and it would grow to 10. “We need to beat Chelsea really, it’s as simple as that,” Arsenal captain Little had said succinctly, prior to the meeting in front of a crowd of 34,302 fans at Stamford Bridge. Unfortunately, the task was far less simple, the Gunners had failed to win any of their last five WSL games away at Chelsea, a run stretching back to their thumping 5-0 defeat of the Blues under Joe Montemurro in October 2018, and that run would be extended.
Slegers had warned that the game would be won by the team that could “manage the tough spells during the game in the best way” and it seemed as if Arsenal wanted to test that theory from the off, the back line rattled as they attempted to hold off charge after charge.
Within a minute the Gunners were under intense pressure, Colombian forward Mayra Ramírez forced Leah Williamson into a short unguided pass that she would pounce on before the ball was worked to Catarina Macario and Daphne van Domselaar got down well to deny the US international.
It was a warning, but the Chelsea press was physical, fast and relentless, and Arsenal didn’t look as if they could cope, Johanna Rytting-Kaneryd sending the ball over the bar and Erin Cuthbert firing wide as they looked to break players who seemed caught by surprise.
It took 20 minutes of weathering the relentless storm but then the visiting team emerged into daylight, a stray Cuthbert ball back towards goal played straight to Alessia Russo who glided round England teammate Millie Bright before placing her effort wide of the far post. It was the boost Slegers’ side needed, and they arguably had the best chances of the half from there on out. Russo flicked on Katie McCabe’s cross to Beth Mead at the back post in one instance, fullback Niamh Charles getting her body in the way to deflect it out for a corner. Emily Fox hesitating before sending the ball straight at Hannah Hampton in goal, in another.
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The Reds were dealt a blow shortly before the break, Frida Maanum coming on for Caitlin Foord who exited after a spell of treatment.
The second half was far more even, Maanum’s effort coming back off the crossbar the clearest chance. It would be the introduction of James, for the first time since October, that would swing the balance in Chelsea’s favour, the seemingly unplayable 23-year-old swept into the box from the right and was downed by Little giving referee Emily Heaslip no option but to point to the spot. McCabe received two bookings in quick succession for foul and abusive language before Reiten converted the penalty, sending the ball low into the corner.
The final minutes were as open as the preceding, Arsenal on the hunt for the equaliser, Chelsea looking to kill things off. In the end, it would be the penalty that would separate them. Arsenal far from humiliated, but Chelsea are just a different beast.
