We were beaten 3-1 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Barclays Women’s Super League on Friday night.
First-half goals from Lauren James and Sjoeke Nüsken sent Chelsea into the break with a three-goal lead and, despite a late strike from Kim Little, we were unable to mount a comeback in the second half.
What happened
The home side put on the pressure early on but were unable to make the breakthrough as James fired over the bar from the edge of the area before Katie McCabe and Lotte Wubben-Moy were on hand to clear the danger from a couple of Chelsea crosses.
The latter played a great pass out wide to Beth Mead, who touched it inside to Kim Little and her shot was tipped around the post at the other end, before Steph Catley’s one-two with Leah Williamson resulted in our number seven shooting straight into the gloves of Hannah Hampton.
But, in the 15th minute, Chelsea took the lead. In time and space, James initially had her shot saved by Manuela ZInsberger, but the ball flew up in the air and bounced over the line.
Six minutes later, it was 2-0, as the ball came out to Erin Cuthbert, whose shot was tucked in off the post by Nüsken.
Mead sent a free-kick high over the bar at the other end as we looked for a response, but with just over half an hour played we found ourselves 3-0 behind after giving the ball away to Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, whose shot went in off of Nusken.
With their confidence growing, James then got past Leah Williamson and chipped the ball just over the bar from distance, before Guro Reiten curled a free-kick over the top left corner before half-time.
We made a triple change at half-time, Emily Fox, Frida Maanum and Alessia Russo coming on for Catley, Victoria Pelova and Stina Blackstenius.
McCabe smashed the ball over the bar from long range early in the second half before Mead had a free-kick headed wide by Wubben-Moy. At the other end, Kaneryd burst through on goal but Zinsberger closed the angle to make the stop.
Jonas Eidevall made another change in the 56th minute, Cloe Lacasse coming on for Foord.
With just under half an hour remaining, Niamh Charles played the ball through to James, who tried to slot it past Zinsberger, but our goalkeeper stretched out her right foot and then made another good save to deny Kaneryd from close range, who had got on the end of a Reiten cross.
Kyra Cooney-Cross came on for Lia Walti for our fifth change of the night in the 72nd minute.
We did eventually find the back of the net when a McCabe corner came out to Little, who poked it into the bottom left corner for 3-1. Russo shot straight at Hampton as we searched for a second, and Maanum struck a shot over the bar, but it was too little too late.
What it means
We remain third in the WSL but are now six points behind the leaders Chelsea ahead of our next game, which is against Aston Villa on Sunday, March 24.
Team news
Chelsea XI: Hampton, Perisset, Buchanan, Carter, Charles (C) (Lawrence 70), Cuthbert, Leupolz, Nusken, Kaneryd, Reiten, James (Macario 83)
Substitutes (not used): Musovic, Ingle, Kirby, Hamano, Cankovic, Beever-Jones
Arsenal XI: Zinsberger, McCabe, Williamson, Wubben-Moy, Catley (Fox 46), Pelova (Maanum 46), Little (C), Walti (Cooney-Cross 72), Mead, Blackstenius (Russo 46), Foord (Lacasse 56)
Substitutes (not used): D’Angelo, Bouhaddi, Codina, Reid
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