Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea: Alessia Russo goal seals Champions League quarter-final first leg advantage | OneFootball

Holders will take an advantage into next week’s second leg at Stamford Bridge

That was soon extinguished, though, as Alessia Russo lashed her eighth goal of the campaign beyond Hannah Hampton to restore Arsenal’s two-goal advantage ahead of next week’s secon leg at Stamford Bridge.

Making matters worse was an unparalleled injury list, which prompted bizarre scenes at Cobham the day before the match as just eight players featured in first-team training.

Sonia Bompastor issued a half-hearted rallying cry pre-match, insisting her side was not in crisis, and her players seemed at first to take heed.

From the word ‘go’ at the Emirates, a half-strength Chelsea starting eleven took the fight to their hosts. Alyssa Thompson and James both hit the post in the opening exchanges as Arsenal struggled to impose themselves.

But the match was flipped on its head by the most routine of set-piece goals after 23 minutes. Stina Blackstenius nodded home from Katie McCabe’s crossfire-kick, leaving the Blues stunned.

They fell off the pace and soon their hosts’ advantage doubled, Chloe Kelly curling home from the edge of the area past a scrambling Hannah Hampton.

Misery compounded as Veerle Buurman was dubiously denied a seemingly fair goal by VAR.

The cold drizzle which began shortly before the break was almost too obvious a metaphor for Chelsea’s fortunes. Heads were down and they sorely needed half-time, but with just two fit senior outfield players on the bench, there was little scope for Bompastor to adjust her approach.

She made no half-time changes but must have delivered a spirited half-time talk. The Blues were first to emerge from the changing rooms and started the second-half on the front foot before James struck a stunning volley from range to halve the deficit.

Chelsea’s comeback was on track. The Emirates atmosphere, till then jovial, quickly turned edgy.

The Blues pressed on in search of an equaliser, but Russo, as ever, was on hand to supply a much-needed goal.

Her strike was the defining moment of the match, leaving Chelsea with a mountain to climb ahead of the second leg, but there were plenty of other instances which demonstrated the distance between the sides.

Renee Slegers’ ability to call upon the likes of Olivia Smith, Frida Maanum and Smilla Holmberg off the bench while Bompastor was forced to name two goalkeepers, four academy prospects and an unfit Ellie Carpenter on her own was perhaps the most stark.

But, despite the disappointing evening, Chelsea have hope. Who knows what might happen in the home leg, with Sam Kerr, Niamh Charles and Aggie Beever-Jones all expected to return to the side.

Arsenal, though, will feel they have one foot in the semi-finals.