Holders Arsenal take a two-goal lead into the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea next week after a 3-1 win at the Emirates Stadium, with the quality of the goals, two disallowed Chelsea goals and the Blues’ injury woes the talking points.
A Stina Blackstenius header and Chloe Kelly long-range effort made it 2-0 after the visitors had twice hit the post before Veerle Buurman’s header was ruled out for a very soft foul on Laia Codina, but Lauren James was on hand to reduce the margin in style, curling in from outside the box. Alessia Russo restored the Gunners’ cushion but there was drama at the close, when Kadeisha Buchanan’s goal was ruled out after she ploughed her foot into Anneke Borbe as she put the ball over the line.
The buildup had centred around the steady depletion of Chelsea’s squad. Sonia Bompastor had only eight outfield players in their open training session before this first leg, with several players following individualised programmes to try and ready them for the encounter.
By kick-off the Blues’ starting XI was strong, but their bench lacking, with four teenagers (Gabriella Storey, 16, Chloe Sarwie, 17, Lois Shooter, 18 and Lexi Potter, 19) and Ellie Carpenter, fresh off a flight back from Australia after the Asia Cup final sitting alongside Wieke Kaptein and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd.
