A cathartic strike from Beth Mead and a second from Mariona Caldentey earned Arsenal a 2-0 win over Chelsea and pulled them to within a point of their London rivals in the WSL table.
A first victory for Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, and first away win against Chelsea in eight years, dented the holders’ title hopes in the process. The Blues now sit six points behind rampant league leaders Manchester City, who travel to London City Lionesses on Sunday with the chance to extend that lead to nine.
There were some forced changes to Arsenal’s starting XI, with Olivia Smith’s suspension and Frida Maanum’s illness adding to injuries to several key players, including the England duo Leah Williamson and Chloe Kelly.
Perhaps the best way to describe the first half, from the point of view of the visiting team, is that it was like suffering wave after wave of deja vu. Despite their depleted number, Renée Slegers’s side were dominant in possession, at times weaving together some lovely patterns of play. However, the end product was notably absent once again, the Gunners searching for the eye-of-a-needle pass through Chelsea’s stoic and well-balanced back three of Lucy Bronze, Naomi Girma and Millie Bright.
