Arsenal and Chelsea eye salvation in crunch Women's Champions League showdown | OneFootball

London rivals renew hostilities with plenty on the line in quarter-final tie

As a downtrodden Chelsea travel to Arsenal in tonight’s quarter-final first leg, there is plenty on the line for both London rivals.

Sonia Bompastor has struggled to match the magic of her treble-winning debut season at Chelsea but the Blues still have their sights on the Women’s Champions League glory that has eluded them.

Chelsea have lost their stranglehold on the domestic game this season. Saturday’s draw with London City Lionesses leaves the reigning WSL champions in third place and nine points behind leaders Manchester City.

They did successfully defend their League Cup title last week, but another domestic honour can only paper over cracks that look to be developing off the pitch.

Chelsea have just won the League Cup but they are set to lose their WSL crown to Manchester City

Steve Paston/PA Wire

Eyebrows were raised when the surprise departure of Paul Green, disciple of Emma Hayes and lead architect of Chelsea’s superlative decade, was announced last month. Guro Reiten has opted for pastures new in the United States. Reports suggest long-serving captain Millie Bright, Sam Kerr and Catarina Macario are keen to do the same.

Various other key players, including Lucy Bronze, Aggie Beever Jones and England No1 Hannah Hampton, are out of contract this summer and failure to keep pace in the Champions League could spark an exodus.

Chelsea have been knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona in four of the past five seasons and it was painful to watch Arsenal beat the Catalan club in last year's final.

The Blues have a point to prove, but Arsenal have had their number this season.

Renee Slegers’ side handed them their most galling result of this bleak campaign - a 2-0 defeat in front of a packed Stamford Bridge - which triggered a run of one win in five and culminated in a first league defeat for 34 matches.

This derby clash will mean far more than most and only eight first-team Chelsea players appeared in training on Monday, though she insists her stars are simply in recovery.

Arsenal stunned Barcelona to win the Women’s Champions League last season

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“Everything is under control, and we will have enough players to play the game tomorrow,” she smiled in her pre-match press conference. “Don’t worry. This is not a crisis.”

There is good reason to worry, though, namely the fine form of Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey, who between them have contributed 10 goals and assists to Arsenal’s last seven matches. They will fancy their chances against Chelsea’s injury-ravaged defence, lacking Millie Bright, Ellie Carpenter, Nathalie Bjorn and Niamh Charles.

That is not to say Arsenal do not have fitness worries of their own. Leah Williamson is sidelined, while Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross are unavailable having returned from the Asian Cup on Monday morning.

Arsenal are still in the FA Cup but are themselves 11 points behind leaders Manchester City in the WSL, so the Champions League is also crucial to their season.

Absentees aside, Arsenal will smell blood as they face their ailing rivals. Slegers only hopes her side will not be over-eager as they target a statement victory.

“It’s a big occasion,” she admitted. “But we know we’re at our very, very best when we stay task-oriented. We want to stay in control as much as possible.

“But of course, there’s passion as well, and that can give us the couple of extra percentages.”