WSL: Arsenal 2-3 Chelsea - Report

By Max Jones at Meadow Park

SUMMARY

Arsenal Ladies were unlucky not to put themselves back in contention for the league title after losing to Chelsea at Meadow Park on Thursday night.

Danielle Carter gave the Gunners an early lead after breaking through the Blues' defence, before winning a penalty 10 minutes later. Casey Stoney stepped up but was unable to continue her good goalscoring form as she fired over.

Yuki Ogimi then scored from the spot before Jackie Groenen gave the visitors the lead, but Leah Williamson levelled emphatically before the break.

Arsenal struggled to create in the second half and Ji So Yun capitalised on Emma Byrne's mis-kick to give the Blues all three points.

SETTING THE SCENE

Caretaker manager Kelly Smith, boasting a 100 per cent record after two games in charge, made just one change as Carter returned to the starting line-up in favour of Shinobu Ohno.

This was the fourth time the two sides had met this season, with Arsenal winning in the FA Cup and Continental Cup, but Chelsea held bragging rights in the league, beating the Gunners 2-1 at Wheatsheaf Park.

Arsenal had the opportunity to close the gap on league leaders Chelsea to three points with a victory over a side containing the familiar faces of former Gunners Katie Chapman and Gilly Flaherty.

FIRST HALF

Despite starting the game with the inferior head-to-head record this season, Chelsea began sharper and could have struck first if Arsenal's organised defensive line had not caught them offside twice in the first five minutes.

But then the Gunners sprung into life on the break and the recalled Carter burst through Chelsea's back four and buried her low strike past Marie Hourihan in the 10th minute.

Carter looked lively and, after leading another wave of high pressing, won a penalty after being tripped in the box. Stoney was handed the ball and the opportunity to add yet another goal to her season's tally, but she fired just over the crossbar in the 20th minute.

And things got worse for Arsenal five minutes later. Alex Scott was adjudged to have handled the ball after heroically denying Ogimi on the line twice. The Chelsea striker then smashed her penalty home to level.

The Blues struck again almost immediately from Arsenal's kick-off. Groenen collected the ball on the edge of the area and fired a tame effort at Byrne. But the goalkeeper failed to deal with it and watched in despair as it trickled in at the far post.

Arsenal looked rattled and it took some magic from Williamson to lift their spirits again. The midfielder collected Hannah Blundell's short back-pass and lobbed Hourihan with a delicate chip to equalise before the break.

The derby was hotly contested throughout and end-to-end football soon turned into tough tackles around the centre circle.

SECOND HALF

The game seemed to have cooled down in second half after reaching boiling point towards the end of the first period, but Chelsea looked most likely to go back in front in the 55th minute. Eniola Aluko broke down the right and forced Byrne into a fine diving save.

The Gunners did threaten on the hour mark when Rachel Yankey fed Jordan Nobbs, but the midfielder's effort lacked the power to beat Hourihan.

While there may have been quality football on display in the first half, the second demonstrated why Arsenal and Chelsea contest the fiercest rivalry in the women's game.

Neither side were given the space to create as tackles came crashing in again and again, as the match quickly turned into a midfield battle. Surprisingly, only Ana Borges and Drew Spence were booked.

Arsenal nearly broke through with 10 minutes remaining when Niamh Fahey squared inside the box but Chelsea's defenders combined to clear before Carter could pounce.

Then Ji So Yun capitalised on Byrne's scuffed clearance to wrap up three points for the Blues with two minutes to play and end a frustrating evening for the Gunners.