Trips to the Emirates are never easy. But in the recent past Chelsea Women still managed to eek out good results at Arsenal’s turf despite the hosts’ best efforts.
With the Blues’ squad ravaged by injuries and tiredness it was hard coming into this match with high expectations. Clearly the team thought otherwise as we brought the game to Arsenal’s defensive third, with Lauren James hitting the post less than 10 minutes into the match.
It didn’t last long. Once Arsenal found their footing and brought
the ball back to midfield, our tiredness set in. Every duel went in the Gunners’ favour, and they grew confident that a goal was coming.
Stina Blackstenius easily slipped past several Chelsea players in a dead ball situation to open the scoring for Arsenal. From range Chloe Kelly followed suit, with no one closing in on her teammates to stop the hosts’ transition from defence to attack.
Missing a proper centre-forward today as Aggie Beever-Jones recovers from injury and Sam Kerr gets some well-deserved rest after spending an extended period of time in international duty with Australia, Chelsea’s path to at least pull one back against Arsenal wouldn’t take a direct route. We needed a moment of brilliance, which Lauren James duly provided.
As they say, one swallow does not make a summer. Chelsea were still tired and porous in defence, having heavily relied on Hannah Hampton in recent matches to hold onto wins and even draws. In another collective slip Alessia Russo scored the hosts’ third goal.
Of course this wouldn’t be a complete game without a reminder of how poor refereeing is in women’s football. As Kadeisha Buchanan heroically found a second goal in the final minutes of the match, the referee had to take her part in the match again and claim a foul on Arsenal’s goalkeeper even though the Chelsea defender clearly hit the ball in her attempt to push the ball into the back of the net.
- Lauren James and Alyssa Thompson upfront.
- Horrendous refereeing in display, with a Veerle Buurman goal ruled out as a foul in the area.
- Brilliant Lauren James goal, who’s done what she could to carry this team’s attack under dire conditions.
- If this is the kind of refereeing we’re getting in a Champions League match, maybe we shouldn’t bother showing up for it.
- Next up: Aston Villa at home in the Women’s Super League.
- KTBFFH.
