Chelsea take first ever Emirates win to go top of WSL | OneFootball

Chelsea renewed their title winning credentials at the Emirates this afternoon, beating Arsenal 1-2 to intensify scrutiny surrounding Jonas Eidevall’s Arsenal future.

The narrative surrounding new Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor seems to centre around whether she can do what her predecessor Emma Hayes could not and win the Champions League. Today, as Hayes watched from a private box, Bompastor achieved one thing she never could: a win at the Emirates.

In a worrying trend, Arsenal’s primary issue on the day proved to be finishing chances. Against Everton last week, they were held goalless despite taking 21 shots, with a similar outcome today. Chance after chance went begging as the Gunners recorded 20 shots and 46 touches in the box but only managed a solitary goal after a moment of magic from Caitlin Foord.

Chelsea, on the other hand, appear to have mastered the art of winning ugly. As the cliché goes, it is the mark of a champion. After romping to an early 2-0 lead, Sonia Bompastor’s side were made to sit back and soak up pressure from an Arsenal side backed vocally by 45,860 adoring home supporters.

A packed and noisy Emirates was treated to early action as Chelsea’s Mayra Ramirez hit a seemingly effortless overhead kick into the top right corner after just four minutes had been played. Despite the wealth of red shirts in the area, the Colombian went totally unchallenged, with the visitors taking an early lead in what was arguably the most important match of either team’s season so far.

As Daphne Van Domselaar remained rooted to the spot, it took the stadium a moment to realise that a goal had been scored, but the initial deathly hush in the stands was immediately followed by vengeful encouragement. The home fans had turned out in droves to watch this match, and they would not stand for a Chelsea victory.

Unfortunately for the home support, though, it would not be long before the volume would be turned back down. Lauren James and Sandy Baltimore combined to double the Blues’ lead shortly before the 20-minute mark, the former making a dancing run to the byline before hooking a looping cross to an unmarked Baltimore at the back post. She headed home from close range for her first Chelsea goal.

Two goals in front in a London derby with less than a quarter of the match played, one might assume that the visitors had been dominant, but this was not necessarily the case. Arsenal enjoyed several chances and had the vast majority of the touches in the box, but crucially failed to generate shots on target.

It would take a moment of genius to pull the Gunners back into contention, and that would come by way of Foord moments before halftime. Driving towards goal, she snuck into the non-space between last man and byline, cutting inside at the last moment before finishing past Hampton from an impossibly tight angle, halving the deficit at a key juncture.

A lack of clinical edge had proved to be Arsenal’s shortfall in the first period, finishing the half with just two out of ten shots on target.

The second half began in notably even fashion. With chances going both ways, Chelsea stepped up the intensity of their press, looking to pin Arsenal back and put the result to bed early, to no great effect. Arsenal were similarly toothless going forward, creating chances and habitually squandering them.

As the half progressed, Chelsea increasingly looked to play on the counter, soaking up ever-growing attacking pressure and looking to the pacey outlets of Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Guro Reiten for attacking threat.

Opportunities to flex that attacking muscle were few and far between for Chelsea, as they hunkered down amid a barrage of Arsenal offense. The Gunners rattled the bar with five minutes remaining in normal time and forced a save from Hampton in injury time, but again lacked the ability to finish chances.

Chelsea’s wall would stand firm, the Blues keeping the second half goalless to secure a first London derby win for so many members of the travelling squad, not least Bompastor.

Lineups

ARS: Van Domselaar, Fox, Wubben-Moy, Williamson, Caldentey, Mead, Little (C), McCabe, Walti, Foord, Russo

CHE: Hampton, Bright (C), Nusken, Ramirez, James, Reiten, Baltimore, Kaptein, Rytting Kaneryd, Bronze, Buchanan

Featured image credit: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images via One Football