Chelsea bolstered their WSL title aspirations with a crucial 3-1 victory over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Friday evening, in front of a crowd exceeding 30,000. Emma Hayes’ squad now sits three points ahead of Manchester City and six points clear of Arsenal after this significant win.
The Blues surged into an insurmountable lead with three first-half goals, leaving Arsenal trailing. The Gunners managed to pull one back late in the game through an own goal.
The game faced a 30-minute delay due to a kit clash, as Arsenal wore white socks instead of the required red. In a peculiar turn of events, Arsenal had to purchase Chelsea’s away socks and cover the Nike logo to comply with regulations.
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Once the match commenced, Chelsea quickly asserted dominance. Guro Reiten’s midfield interception set up Lauren James for the opening goal. Minutes later, Erin Cuthbert’s effort found the net via a deflection off Sjoeke Nusken for Chelsea’s second goal. Johanna Rytting Kaneryd extended Chelsea’s lead with a deflected strike.
Arsenal attempted to turn the tide with three changes at halftime, but their efforts fell short. Chelsea’s goalkeeper Hannah Hampton thwarted Katie McCabe’s attempt, while James missed a chance to extend Chelsea’s lead.
Despite Chelsea’s dominance, Arsenal managed a consolation goal through Kim Little’s deflected strike. However, any hopes of a late comeback were dashed, as Chelsea held on to secure the victory.