Stina Blackstenius' 116th-minute winner saw us win the FA Women's Continental Tyres League Cup for the second season running with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea.
With the game looking like it would have to be decided by a penalty shootout, Blackstenius stepped up to cushion the ball into the bottom right corner in the dying embers, bringing about pandemonium among Gooners at Molineux.
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VAR let-off
Chelsea had the first chance of the game when Lauren James plucked the ball out of the air and shot towards Manuela Zinsberger’s near post, but our goalkeeper parried the ball behind into the Sir Jack Hayward Stand, which was full of red and white flags and scarves.
Our first effort came courtesy of Lotte Wubben-Moy carrying the ball forward confidently before Victoria Pelova found Cloe Lacasse, who shot wide of the post from distance.
In the 21st minute, the Blues thought they’d taken the lead when Mayra Ramirez picked out the bottom left corner from long range, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR check showed that Erin Cuthbert had handled the ball in the build-up.
Beth Mead tried to catch Hannah Hampton out at the other end after Chelsea gave the ball away in a dangerous area, but her shot flew onto the roof of the net.
We had a better sight of goal when Leah Williamson’s long ball to Blackstenius was taken down well, allowing Frida Maanum to pick out Lacasse on the left, but her shot was too close to Hampton’s near post to trouble the Chelsea goalkeeper.
Katie McCabe tried her luck with a powerful left-footed drive from distance which stung the palms of Hampton as she pushed the ball over the bar, before Wubben-Moy volleyed wide of the top left from the following corner.
Second half stalemate
Melanie Leupolz had the first chance of the second half when she fired over the bar after the ball was pulled back to her Johanna Rytting Kaneryd. The latter then crossed to the far post and James shot into the side netting, but Zinsberger required treatment and both sides were able to gather themselves.
The opening goal almost came in the 67th minute when Pelova won the ball and carried us forward before playing it out left to Lacasse who ran in on goal, but Hampton got out to close the angle and make the save.
Zinsberger then made a great save to deny James, getting her fingertips on the ball to push it around the post after the Chelsea forward had burst into a dangerous area having come in from the left wing.
In the sixth minute of added time, Maanum went down off the ball and required medical treatment, so there was a lengthy stoppage in play until she could be taken off of the pitch in the 103rd minute and be replaced by Alessia Russo.
After the players were informed that Frida was in a stable condition, a rousing rendition of North London Forever from Gooners at Molineux signalled the start of extra-time.
Stina seals number seven
Catley's cross was headed just wide by McCabe but the flag was raised for offside during a quiet first half of extra-time, before Kyra Cooney-Cross came on for McCabe.
Russo flicked the ball over the top for Blackstenius early in the second half but she sent it over the crossbar before a similar effort from James met the same fate at the other end.
Cooney-Cross played a brilliant pass out wide to Foord on the counter-attack with six minutes remaining. Foord touched it inside to Russo, who shot straight at Hampton.
Then, with just three minutes to go, Foord worked her way into the penalty area and set the ball up for Blackstenius who showed cool composure to slot it into the bottom right corner. Late lift-off at Molineux Stadium, and we held on to win the competition for a record seventh time in front of a record-breaking attendance of 21,462.
Team sheets
Chelsea XI: Hampton, Perisset, Carter, Buchanan, Charles, Cuthbert, Leupolz, Kaneryd (Beever-Jones 119), Nusken (Macario 96), James, Ramirez (Reiten 76).
Substitutes (not used): Musovic, Ingle, Lawrence, Kirby, Hamano, Berger.
Arsenal XI: Zinsberger, Fox, Williamson (Codina 46), Wubben-Moy, McCabe (Cooney-Cross 106), Little (C), Pelova, Maanum (Russo 103), Mead (Catley 84), Lacasse (Foord 72), Blackstenius.
Substitutes (not used): D’Angelo, Williams, Wienroither, Lia.
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