Chelsea claimed the upper hand in the first major WSL title-race clash of the season, beat Arsenal 1-0 at Stamford Bridge to put the Gunners seven points adrift.
A first-half goal from Alyssa Thompson was enough to secure all three points for the Blues, who now sit two points behind Manchester City in the WSL table.
The result gives Chelsea bragging rights in the first London derby of the season, though neither team delivered a perfect performance. Chelsea could easily have been punished for their lack of cutting edge after Thompson’s goal, but that matters little now.
Arsenal, meanwhile, look out of sorts again at the start of the season: too predictable, too passive and simply not good enough to win a league title.
Both sides arrived under different pressures ahead of this much-anticipated London derby. Chelsea had won two of their opening three WSL games but were still wrestling with problems that had carried over from last season, including defensive frailties and a lack of control in midfield. Those issues came to the fore again during a narrow 1-0 Champions League win against Austria Wien on Wednesday night.
Arsenal were in strife of their own, travelling to west London with just one win from their opening three WSL games and an acute inability to deliver in the final third that continued on Sunday afternoon.
Slegers has been here before with Arsenal. Her side have often risen to the occasion when unfancied and counted out against their biggest rivals, but her side could only produce more of the same.
Arsenal began the game looking as though they’d finally taken the handbrake off and showed greater intensity in their press than they have so far this season, hunting the ball aggressively in Chelsea’s defensive third. They won possession in promising areas several times but again lacked the final product. Too many attacks ended with a poor cross, while Arsenal’s best chance of the first half saw Mariona Caldentey hit the post after a laboured first touch drew the attention of Chelsea defenders.
As the half wore on, that early energy began to fade and Keira Walsh, who started after being forced off through injury in the Champions League in midweek, proved decisive in bringing a calm but aggressive presence to Chelsea’s midfield.
It was her shot that was saved well by Anneke Borbe before Alyssa Thompson smashed home the rebound. Thompson is no stranger to big goals in this fixture, having scored her first WSL goal for Chelsea at the Emirates last November.
The American’s goal prompted a huge celebration from her teammates that carried almost as much relief as joy.
Walsh’s returning teammates struggled to make as much of an impact. Lauren James didn’t look fully fit and was substituted in the 68th minute, having contributed little beyond two hopeful shots from distance in the first half.
Melvine Malard managed just 16 touches in the opening 45 minutes and should have scored just before half-time to make it 2-0. A brilliantly-timed run put her through on the Arsenal goal, but her touch to set up the shot created too tight an angle to force one past Borbe at the near post.
As the game wore on, there were brief flashes of discomfort for Sonia Bompastor’s side, but her biggest frustration will have been Chelsea’s failure to make the result more comfortable. She repeatedly threw her hands up in frustration as her side allowed Arsenal into dangerous territory late in the second half, but they were spared by Arsenal’s ineffectiveness in attack.
While Arsenal’s players couldn’t deliver on the pitch, their fans played their part, making themselves heard when former Arsenal player Katie McCabe was read out on the teamsheet before kick-off and upon every touch and pass she made. The Irishwoman was booked for time-wasting while stood over a corner in front of the Arsenal fans, as a cascade of abuse rained down. It added some much-needed spice to an encounter that Arsenal’s performance otherwise struggled to provide.
Slegers turned to her now-familiar changes around the hour mark, this time reshaping much of her midfield as Georgia Stanway, Caldentey and Lisa Baum departed. Stina Blackstenius came on to play as the number 9, with Alessia Russo making her usual switch to the 10: a formula that is now well-proven for its inability to win a football game. Chloe Kelly tried to bring a burst of energy from the bench, but most of her end product was hopeful.
In the final 10 minutes of the game, Slegers went rogue in a desperate attempt to rescue something. Selina Cerci and Geraldine Reuteler came on, but neither made an impact. By the time Slegers made her final changes, her side looked confused as the team had been chopped and changed so much. Little, before she eventually came off, turned to the bench asking where she was meant to play, Caitlin Foord, who later switch to left back after Ona Batlle departed, shrugged to teammates when trying to decipher her position.
The result means Chelsea claim bragging rights in the first big rivalry game of the season. Neither team delivered a perfect performance. Chelsea could have been punished for not being clinical but won’t care too much when they’ve just beaten a huge rival. While Arsenal look out of sorts, again, at the start of the season. Too predictable, too passive, and not good enough.
There’s no let-up for Slegers, either. Her side travel to league leaders Manchester City next week, where another loss will see Arsenal’s title come to rest.