WSL: Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea
Match report: Suzanne Wrack reports from the Emirates Stadium, where a disastrous first half consigned Arsenal to defeat and some angry Gooners were seen waving mocked-up P45s in the direction of their beleaguered manager, Jonas Eidevall.
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Sonia Bompastor: "We need to produce more"
“For sure it was a tough game and we were expecting that,” says the Chelsea manager. “It’s always good to win because three points are three points but I have to say I wish my team could have possessed more of the ball in the second half.
“I think we did well in the first one, not good enough in the second but it’s part of the performance when your team is able to stay strong and not concede goals. As a mentality, I like that but I think with the quality of the players we have we should be able to produce more.”
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Millie Bright: "We've got that fight"
“We knew it was going to be a tough game,” says the Chelsea skipper in an interview with the BBC. “It’s two top teams coming into battle. But as a team we’ve got that fight and are still capable of creating chances at the end.
“The style of play, we want to possess the ball and be brave. Coming to stadiums like these against top teams. We wanted to be brave and come away with three points.”
On the performance of Mayra Ramirez: “She’s capable of carrying the ball, few defenders can take it off her. I witness that every day in training. She’s extremely difficult to tackle and she gets us up the pitch especially against that low block.”
On Chelsea’s winning mentality: “It’s a part of who we are. As a new player you know what you have to do to get into the team and stay in the team. We have that monster mentality. It’s become part of our environment.”
A quick recap: Chelsea scored from their first two shots on target, taking advantage of some disastrous Arsenal defending. The first goal came from a corner which Arsenal failed to clear, the ball bouncing kindly for the outstanding Mayra Ramirez, who hooked it over her own head and those of the oppositiuon defence, into the back of the net.
The second was scored by Sandy Baltimore, the left-back taking advantage of some more charitable Arsenal defending to head home a cross from Lauren James.
Arsenal pulled a goal back courtesy of a fine solo effort from their star player Caitlin Foord, but despite pinning Chelsea back for long periods of the second half, were unable to convert several chances to equalise. The pick of them fell to the substitute Stina Blackstenius, who could only hit the woodwork.
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Full time: Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeep! Referee Cheryl Foster draws proceedings at the Emirates to a close and Chelsea go top of the WSL, two points clear of Manchester City. Despite a much improved second half performance (it couldn’t have been much worse than the first), Arsenal have come up short once again and find themselves in sixth place in the table with just five points from their opening four games.
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90+6 min: Arsenal corner. Lucy Bronze heads the ball clear and Chelsea break upfield. The final whistle blows and despite their excellent second half performance, Arsenal have lost their second game in a row. They have just one win from their opening four WSL games this season.
90+4 min: Aggie Beever-Jones is played through in a one-on-one with Daphne Van Domselaar but blows her chance to put the game beyond Arsenal by shooting straight at their goalkeeper.
90+1 min: We’re into six minutes of kitchen sink time for Arsenal and Erin Cuthbert has just been booked for something or other. Katie McCabe’s free-kick is cleared as far as Russo, who’s sweet shot on the volley is straight at Hannah Hampton.
88 min: Chelsea shore up their defensive ranks with a double-susbtitution: Nathalie Bjorn and Ashley Lawrence are on.
86 min: The Arsenal crowd appeal for a penalty when the ball appears to hit Millie Bright’s raised arm in the Chelsea penalty area. Replays show it hit her in the face.
84min: Oof! McCabe picks out Blackstenius with a free-kick and the substitute’s effort crashes against the crossbar.
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82 min: It’s largely the same personnel but this Arsenal side is completely unrecognisable from the absolute rabble that “contested” the opening 35 minutes and are pressing hard for an equaliser. Time is against them, however.
80 min: Blackstenius has a shot blocked and then gets in the way of her Arsenal teammate Caitlin Foord’s follow-up effort.
79 min: Blackstenius has an immediate impact, capitalising on a Kadeisha Buchanan error to advance down the inside left. She overhits her pass to Frida Maanum who had made an overlapping run and the ball runs out of play.
77 min: Arsenal double-substitution: Kyra Cooney-Cross and Stina Blackstenius on for Kim Little and Mariona Caldentey.
Attendance watch: 45,860 souls, one of whom is former Chelsea manager and current USA boss, Emma Hayes. There’s a break in play while Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne Van Domselaar receives treatment.
74 min: Chelsea substitution: Erin Cuthbert on for Wieke Kaftein.
73 min: Katie McCabe sends a corner into the Chelsea penalty area, where Lotte Wubben-Moy loses her marker Sjoeke Nusken and heads over. She should at the very least have hit the target.
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70 min: It’s worth noting that Beever-Jones looked conspicuously offside as that cross came in but the flag didn’t go up.
68 min: Daphne Van Domselaar dives to her right to claw away a header from Aggie Beever-Jones, who had peeled away from Wubben-Moy and was unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box when she connected with a Guro Reiten cross from the left. Excellent goalkeeping.
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65 min: Arsenal continue to knock on the door and win a corner, which is taken by Frida Maanum, who has just replaced Beth Mead. Nothing comes of it.
63 min: Chelsea double-substitution: Catarina Macario and Aggie Beever-Jones on for Mayra Ramirez and Lauren James. Arsenal’s players won’t be sorry to see the back of that duo, who have caused them all sorts of problems.
62 min: A Chelsea counter-attack breaks down when Mayra Ramirez barrels past several Arsenal players before being dispossessed by Kim Little. Ramirez is visibly limping.
57 min: A Sjoeke Nusken cross into the path of Lauren James is intercepted my Lotte Wubben-Moy, who is immediately muscled off the ball by the Chelsea winger.
James advances towards goal and is tackled by Wubben-Moy, who is eager to atone for her error. There are calls for a penalty but it looked a good, clean tackle to me. Crucially, James was not one of the Chelsea players appealing for a spot-kick.
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54 min: From a Chelsea throw-in deep inside their own half, the ball goes straight to Katie McCabe, who immediately swings it into the opposition penalty area. It’s cleared. Moments later, another promising Arsenal attack breaks down when Alessio Russo has a shot blocked by Millie Bright. While the bar is extremely low, this is much, much better from Arsenal.
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53 min: Caitlin Foord, Arsenal’s goalscorer, is booked for a bodycheck on Lucy Bronze.
51 min: Katie McCabe curls a free-kick from wide on the right through the Chelsea penalty area and wide. Lotte Wubben-Moy was unable to get the crucial touch despite stretching every sinew. It’s raining heavily at the Emirates.
50 min: Emily Fox tries a speculative shot from outside the Chelsea penalty area but it’s blocked by Wieke Kaftein.
48 min: There’s a break in play so Mayra Ramirez can receive treatment for some manner of injury. She’s been outstanding in this match and Arsenal’s players would love to see her go off. She’s fit continue for now.
47 min: Mayra Ramirez outmuscles two Arsenal defenders and glides past another before picking out Johanna Kaneryd on the right side of the penalty area. She gets a shot away but it’s low, weak and straight at Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne Van Domselaar.
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Second half: Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea
46 min: Play resumes with Arsenal on the ball and no changes in personnel on either side. A massive, potentially season-defining 45 minutes looms for Jonas Eidevall and his team.
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Lord Herman Ouseley: While the Premier League and English Football League did the square root of nothing whatsoever to mark the passing of the anti-discrimination campaigner and founder of Kick It Out last weekend, it’s worth noting that the players of both teams on the pitch this afternoon are wearing black armbands in tribute to the great man. May he rest in peace.
More correspondence: “It’s a particular sadness for Arsenal fans to see Beth Mead operating at what: 50 or 60% of how incisive she used to be,” writes Charles Antaki.
“Since coming back from her injury she’s been barely recognisable. The team as a whole has lacked precision, confidence and drive; but it hurts more when when a fan favourite starts to fade.”
An email: “Foord deserved that,” writes Ian Porter. “By far Arsenal’s greatest threat. Wondering whether sentiment should be put aside and the invisible Kim Little removed at half time.”
On the subject of putting sentiment aside, Leah Williamson has had a nightmare first half for Arsenal and been given the total runaround by Mayra Ramirez.
In fairness to Williamson, she’s not long back from injury and probably not totally match fit, but as she’s on a yellow card it would be no great surprise to see her benched for the second half.
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Half-time: Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea
Peep! Referee Cheryl Foster signals for the break and Arsenal go in for their half-time brew just a goal down despite some catatrophically bad defending that allowed Mayra Ramirez and Sandy Baltimore to give Chelsea what looked like an unassailable lead. In the final 10 minutes of the half, however, Arsenal gradually grew into the game and an opportunistic strike from Caitlin Foord has given them a lifeline.
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45+1 min: That goal has woken up an Emirates crowd who had previously been sitting in seething silence at the sight of their team put in a shift during the first 30 minutes that was so bad it genuinely beggared belief. If they can get into the dressing-room at half-time just one goal behind, they’ll be delighted. The whistle goes for the break and we have a game on our hands.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea (Foord 43)
Arsenal pull a goal back! It’s been coming and Caitlin Foord scores with a wonderful individual effort. With the ball at her feet on the byline, she somehow skips past Lucy Bronze, steps out to create an angle for herself and instead of shooting for the near post, curls a right-footed effort around Hannah Hampton and inside the far post. That’s a fantastic goal.
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41 min: Another Arsenal corner, as Kadeisha Buchanan denies Beth Mead with a block-tackle. McCabe’s delivery into the six-yard box is headed clear.
39 min: Another chance for Arsenal goes to waste, as Millie Bright clears an Alessia Russo shot off the line.
37 min: The inswinger from McCabe is terrific and drops perfectly for Leah Williamson at the far post. With the goal gaping, she barely makes contact with the ball and skims it wide, possibly put off by her fellow defender Lotte Wubben-Moy, who was also shaping to try and prod it home. That was a glorious opportunity for Arsenal to pull a goal back
35 min: Emily Fox wins a corner for Arsenal, her attempted cross from the right put out of play by Millie Bright.
33 min: Leah Williamson is booked for a foul on Mayra Ramirez. She’s bang to rights but that doesn’t stop her arguing her case with Cheryl Foster, the match referee.
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31 min: Chelsea embark on another sortie into the Arsenal half but on this occasion, Mayra Ramirez, who is terrorising the hosts with her marauding runs and clever passes, is dispossessed. Arsenal launch a counter-attack but it breaks down when Beth Mead’s pass to Russo goes awry.
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29 min: Katie McCabe plays a kamikaze pass across the face of her own penalty area, putting Leah Williamson in all sorts of trouble under a heavy press from Guro Reiten. The Chelsea player’s cross back into the penalty area fails to pick out a teammate and Arsenal get away with the latest in an apparently neverending series of defensive blunders.
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27 min: With Caitlin Foord back defending, Lauren James tries to cut inside but has to settle for a throw-in deep in Arsenal territory, down by the corner flag. Nothing comes of it.
26 min: Lauren James sends a free-kick towards the edge of the Arsenal box but the home side clear it.
24 min: The aforementioned corner came from a deflected Caitlin Foord shot that fizzed over the bar. Arsenal aren’t completely out of this game yet but really need to score the next goal.
22 min: Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton completely misjudges the trajectory of a Beth Mead corner and the ball sails over her head. Kadeisha Buchanan is alert and on hand to head the ball clear before anyone in a red shirt can steer it home.
21 min: Arsenal try to regroup and Caitlin Foord sends a low cross into the Chelsea penalty area towards Russo. She’s disposssed by Buchanana, who clears for Chelsea.
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18 min: Arsenal’s defending – or lack thereof – was comically awful for that goal. Lauren James was given the freedom of the right wing to cut inside, skip past Emily Fox and ping a cross towards Baltimore, who was completely unmarked and had all the time in the world to stoop, pick her spot and head past Arsenal’s hopelessly exposed goalkeeper.
GOAL! Arsenal 0-2 Chelsea (Baltimore 16)
Chelsea double their lead! This is a disaster for Arsenal! Completely unmarked at the far post, Sandy Baltimore stoops to head the ball past Van Domselaar, converting a cross from Lauren James.
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16 min: The ball’s played wide to Chelsea left-back Sandy Baltimore near the halfway line but she’s unable to keep it in play.
13 min: Not yet, is the answer to that question. Millie Bright clears the inswinger with a meaty header.
12 min: Arsenal win a corner after decent work down the left from Katie McCabe and Caitlin Foord. Let’s see if they’re any better at taking corners than they are at defending them.
10 min: Millie Bright is very lucky to avoid a booking for fouling Alessio Russo as the Chelsea striker tried to break upfield on the counter-attack after Arsenal had defended a long throw deep inside their own half.
8 min: Moments before that opener, Arsenal went close when Beth Mead headed over the bar after capitalising on a slapstick mix-up between Chelsea central defenders Millie Bright and Kadeisha Buchanan.
6 min: That was a strange goal. Chelsea had a corner, which was only half-cleared towards Ramirez, the ball bouncing in front of her as she stood with her back to goal. Without trying to turn, she simply hooked it over her own head and Arsenal’s defenders seemed paralysed as the ball dropped over Van Domselaar and into the goal.
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GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Chelsea (Ramirez 3)
Chelsea lead! With her back to goal, Mayra Ramirez scores with an opportunisitc scoop over her own head that catches Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne Van Domselaar slightly off her line and drops into the back of the net. What a goal!
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1 min: Guro Reiten sprints between Arsenal central defenders Leah Williamson and Lotte Wubben-Moy, running on to a ball from deep. She’s offside.
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Arsenal v Chelsea is go ...
1 min: Chelsea get the ball rolling at their second attempt, the first kick-off coming somewhat prematurely as a couple of over-zealous players forgot the referee’s openong whistle was a signal for them to take a pre-match knee.
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Not long now: Both sets of players march out on to the Emirates pitch and line up either side of referee Cheryl Foster and her team of match officials. The last of the pre-match formalities are underway and there are just a couple of minutes to go until kick-off.
Attendance watch: In a state of affairs that suggests the WSL is in fairly rude health, Arsenal have sold over 40,000 tickets for this match, which is also being broadcast live on BBC One television.
An email: “A curtain-raiser for the weekend’s WSL games, indeed; but also a potential curtain-closer on Arsenal’s leage prospects,” writes Charles Antaki.
“The fact that things have spectacularly not gone their way in their opening matches so far – a dismal failure to score against the leagues bottom club, and a sound rubbing by Bayern Munich – is a source of some anguish to Arsenal fans.
“It’s worse because there’s no one obvious cause: you can’t blame it all on the loss of Vivianne Miedema. Increasingly it’s the manager who’s edging into the crosshairs. Good luck with this one, Jonas.”
Girls on Film: Viewing figures for Women’s Super League games streamed online have more than trebled this season following the switch to YouTube as the division’s streaming platform. Tom Garry reports …
Arsenal: A heavy defeat to Bayern Munich has done little to quell growing discontent at the club ahead of today’s visit of the WSL champions, writes Suzanne Wrack.
Those teams: Sonia Bompastor makes two changes to the side that beat Real Madrid in midweek. Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton comes in for Zecira Muskovic, who drops to the bench. Centre-back Kadeisha Buchanan replaces Nathalie Bjorn, who is also among the subs.
Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall makes four changes to the side that started against Bayern Munich. Daphne Van Donselaar, Alessia Russo, Lotte Wubben-Moye and Beth Mead come into the side, with Manuela Zinsberger, Laia Codina, Frida Maanum and Stina Blackstenius missing out.
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Jordan Nobbs interview: Now 31 years old, Aston Villa’s “little Modric in midfield” broke the WSL appearance record last weekend and talks to Tom Garry about her plans to share the experiences of her journey with the next generation.
Sam Kerr: The Matildas captain and Chelsea striker is still on the road to recovery from a torn ACL but interim Australia coach Tom Sermanni has invited her to join the team camp for a morale-boosting reunion ahead of friendlies against Switzerland and Germany later this month. Words: Martin Pegan …
Arsenal v Chelsea line-ups
Arsenal: Van Domselaar; Fox, Wubben-Moy, Williamson, McCabe; Little, Walti, Russo; Mead, Caldentey, Foord
Subs: Zinsberger, Codina, Catley, Reid, Maanum, Kafaji, Kuhl, Cooney-Cross, Blackstenius
Chelsea: Hampton, Bronze, Bright, Buchanan, Baltimore, Kaptein, Nusken, Kaneryd, Reiten, James, Ramirez.
Subs: Musovic, Cuthbert, Lawrence, Beever-Jones, Perisset, Hamano, Jean-Francois, Macario, Bjorn.
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Your London Derby XI. 📋#CFCW pic.twitter.com/vUAGcJ77oW
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) October 12, 2024
🔴 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 ⚪️
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) October 12, 2024
🧤 @DomselaarDaphne between the posts
🧱 Lotte and Leah at the back
🏎️ @alessiarusso7 leads the line
COME ON YOU GUNNERS 👊
Women’s Football Weekly
Faye Carruthers is in the hotseat as Suzanne Wrack, Tom Garry and Sophie Downey discuss the latest goings-on in the women’s game. Listen to our podcast here and if you’re not already a subscriber, you can sign up for free on all the usual platforms.
Early Chelsea team news
Sophie Ingle, Aniek Nouwen, Sam Kerr and Mia Fishel are all out with ACL injuries, while Niamh Charles continues her recovery from a surgery on a shoulder injury.
Goalkeeper Hannah Hampson and American international Catarina Macario could return after missing the midweek win over Real Madrid through illness, while midfielder Erin Cuthbert also sat that game out with a knock but could return this afternoon.
Early Arsenal team news
Arsenal’s Swedish defender Amanda Ilestedt is unavailable for selection as she is expecting her first child, while her compatriot Lina Hurtig also remains out.
The team’s Austrian right-back Laura Wienroither is also sidelined with an injury she picked up in her team’s 1-0 win over Leicester, while Arsenal’s Dutch defender Victoria Pelova is out for the foreseeable future after rupturing her ACL while on international duty during the summer.
In better news for the Gunners, skipper Leah Williamson is expected to make her first league start of the season after playing the full 90 minutes against Bayern Munich in midweek.
WSL: Arsenal v Chelsea
Arsenal welcome Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium for this weekend’s WSL curtain-raiser, with the visitors hoping to maintain their 100% start to the season.
They sit second in the table with two wins from two and beat Real Madrid in the Champions League in midweek, albeit courtesy of a performance that drew criticism from their French manager, Sonia Bompastor.
Arsenal’s start to the season has been comparatively underwhelming, with a scoreless league draw against Everton coming ahead of a 5-2 European pummelling at the hands of Bayern Munich at the FC Bayern Campus. Kick-off in North London is at 1.45pm (BST) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
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