Chelsea dominated Arsenal 3-1 within the Ladies’s Tremendous League in a sport which was delayed by half-hour on account of a conflict of socks.
The league leaders moved three factors away from Manchester Metropolis, who’ve the prospect to reply in opposition to Brighton on Sunday, and 6 forward of the Gunners.
The reigning champions avenged their 4-1 defeat by the hands of Arsenal on the Emirates in December by way of targets from Lauren James and Sjoeke Nusken’s brace.
The German midfielder’s double put her on six league targets for the season and substitute Catarina Macario’s personal objective was mere comfort for the north Londoners.
The primary whistle at Stamford Bridge was paused whereas Arsenal workers collected black socks from their opponents’ megastore, utilizing blue tape to cowl the Chelsea and Nike logos. Arsenal’s white Adidas socks, the identical color as Chelsea’s, had been deemed not match for function by referee Rebecca Welch.
As soon as the delay was over the hosts began aggressively in entrance of a crowd of 32,970.
They fought for 50-50 challenges and the bodily James bullied her marker as she was unleashed down the fitting earlier than Erin Cuthbert was unable to transform her inch-perfect supply into the field.
A brand new document attendance for Chelsea Ladies.
Thanks, Blues. pic.twitter.com/EHd7LqjHcp
— Chelsea FC Ladies (@ChelseaFCW) March 15, 2024
Arsenal seemed to counter however Blues full-back Eve Perisset gained the applause of supervisor Emma Hayes when she confirmed nice power to carry off and switch Caitlin Foord, setting the tone for a aggressive encounter.
James’ electrical begin went up a degree when she opened the scoring within the fifteenth minute.
Guro Reiten discovered the England ahead who surged ahead into area earlier than she confirmed her technical capabilities, turning Steph Catley inside-out with a feint earlier than her highly effective effort was parried into the web by Manuela Zinsberger, who ought to have performed higher.
Chelsea refused to sit down again, as a substitute persevering with to pile on the strain, and their efforts have been rewarded with one other objective.
A harmful cross into the field from Reiten was teed up for Cuthbert, whose shot from the sting of the field was deftly diverted residence by Nusken to make it 2-0.
A clean end from Sio. #CFCW pic.twitter.com/OdnPoKckoo
— Chelsea FC Ladies (@ChelseaFCW) March 15, 2024
If that end was instinctive, Nusken knew nothing about her second as Chelsea stretched their lead earlier than half-time.
Leah Williamson’s crossfield cross was intercepted by Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, who drove ahead in the direction of back-pedalling defenders. Kaneryd selected to shoot and the ball fortuitously deflected off the unaware Nusken into the left-hand nook.
James may have had a second however Zinsberger denied her from shut vary. The elusive winger picked up a neat pocket of area within the center and went by way of on objective however her near-post effort was stopped by the Austria keeper’s fast reflexes.
Kim Little’s well-struck half-volley deflected in off the unlucky Macario within the eighty fifth minute to tug one again for Jonas Eidevall’s facet but it surely was too late as Chelsea held out for a deserved 3-1 win.
