Arsenal v Chelsea LIVE: Women’s Super League result and reaction as Gunners shake up title race
Arsenal 4-1 Chelsea: Rampant Gunners put themselves in the hunt for the WSL title with a superb performance in front of record crowd at the Emirates
Arsenal striker Alessia Russo scored twice as her side hammered Women’s Super League leaders Chelsea 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday in front of a league-record crowd of 59,042, blowing the title race wide open in the process.
Arsenal forward Beth Mead opened the scoring in the eighth minute, finishing off a dogged attack by keeping a cool head to cut back inside Niamh Charles and fire into the roof of the net with her weaker left foot.
The lead lasted all of five minutes as Chelsea winger Johanna Rytting Kaneryd netted a similar effort to Mead’s, shifting inside Steph Catley to create a bit of space and scoring with a low shot that flew in at the near post.
Rytting Kaneryd’s Sweden international team mate Amanda Ilestedt headed Arsenal back into the lead in the 36th minute, and Russo added a quick-fire third less than two minutes later as Chelsea’s defence floundered.
Blues coach Emma Hayes made a triple change at the break but it made little difference as they continued to struggle to find any fluency in attack. Any hope of a comeback was snuffed out when Ann-Katrin Berger conceded a penalty for a foul on Russo, who scored from the spot in the 74th minute.
Chelsea striker Sam Kerr had a chance to reduce the deficit deep into stoppage time but her header from Fran Kirby’s cross lacked power as Arsenal comfortably held on to win.
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Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea
49 mins: A decent effort from James, now, up the other end as James fires wide from the edge of the box.
Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea
48 mins: An early effort from Pelova but it’s straight down the throat of Berger who makes a comfortable save.
KICK-OFF: Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea
A triple change for Chelsea at the break as Perisset, Mjelde and Nusken make way for Lawrence, Buchanan and Kirby. Hayes clearly not happy with her defence after that first half.
And with those done, we are underway in the second half!
It was a poor first half for Chelsea who, at one point, went 30 minutes without a shot on goal.
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 46 English Women’s Super League matches when leading at half-time (W46, D0) dating back to 13th October 2019 so it will be quite some ask for Emma Hayes’s side to turn this around after the break.
Arsenal will move level on points with Chelsea at the top of the table if things stay the same.
Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea
Let’s have a look at some of the goals from that first-half:
It was Arsenal who took the lead early on through Beth Mead...
But Chelsea hit back almost immediately after Rytting Kaneryd’s strike...
However, a quickfire double from Illestedt and then Russo put the hosts in a commanding position...
HALF-TIME: Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea
It’s advantage Arsenal at the break:
HALF-TIME: Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea
The whistle goes and Arsenal head into the break with a deserved two-goal lead.
The home side have been far the better team in that first 45 minutes, taking the lead through Mead’s opener and re-establishing their advantage with a quickfire double from Illestedt and Russo after Rytting Kaneryd had levelled the game earlier on.
Plenty for Emma Hayes to mull over at the break.
Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea
45+5 mins: But a nice attack down the right sees the ball end up at Russo’s feet on the edge of the box. She takes a swipe at it but it’s blocked by a sea of blue defenders in front of her.
Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea
45+4 mins: Mead uses her body well to draw a foul from Charles. Arsenal appear to just be looking to wind the clock down and get into the break with their two-goal lead in tact.
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