Good afternoon, welcome to a top of the table clash as second-placed Arsenal face fourth-placed Chelsea.
Champions Chelsea will be looking to extend their unbeaten run this season as they face Arsenal, who will be looking to bounce back after a 1-0 defeat to Manchester United last time out.
Ross Bray reports.
Line-ups:
KICK OFF!
1′ – Intent from Arsenal from the first whistle as Jil Roord is played in behind as Ann-Katrin Berger’s failed clearance falls straight into the path of the midfielder but Chelsea defend well.
3′ – Arsenal currently down to 10 men as Kim Little tussled with So-Yun Ji which drew some blood. Chelsea looking to take advantage early on.
5′ – Handball by Maren Mjelde just outside the Arsenal penalty area as Little is still receiving treatment.
8′ – Good ball through by Little after she returned to the pitch as she tries to find Vivianne Miedema, but Berger comes out to claim.
9′ – Chelsea going forward this time sees Beth England’s head wide. This game is very much in the balance so far.
Embed from Getty Images17′ – Free-kick to Chelsea as Erin Cuthbert, who shoots but it is blocked. Claims of handball dismissed by the referee.
22′ – Arsenal pressing well as they catch Chelsea up the pitch. Beth Mead receives the ball down the right-hand side and waits for support. She looks for Miedema but her pass is overhit.
23′ – Miedema chases the ball in behind but Berger is equal to it and clears away from danger.
A very cagey first 20 or so as neither team wanting to lose such a pivotal game.
25′ – Penalty claims from Arsenal as they work it well down the right between Little and Mead. The ball is then played out wide to Lia Walti who drives into the Chelsea penalty area but is brought down by Jonna Andersson. No penalty given.
29′ – Miedema down after looking shaky for a couple of minutes. Receiving treatment.
33′ – Yellow Card – Leonie Maier receives a yellow after a 50/50 challenge with Sophie Ingle but deemed a yellow by the Referee.
Embed from Getty Images35′ – Arsenal very much set on playing out of the back from Manuele Zinsberger. Chelsea will look to exploit any sloppy passes, and they nearly do as Ji nips in to intercept a pass but her forward pass only finds Leah Williamson.
39′ – Little drives towards the Chelsea defence and lays it off to Miedema but she could not get the ball out of her feet to get a meaningful shot off.
44′ – Off the bar – Misplaced pass by Sophie Ingle straight to Caitlin Foord who sets up a right-footed shot outside the area. The shot smashes the crossbar and flies up before dropping straight back down to hit the crossbar again! Berger punches away to relieve the danger. Never seen that before!
46′ – Arsenal piling the pressure on at the end of the half with a corner, it’s a good delivery but Williamson heads over.
Half-time – Arsenal Women 0 – 0 Chelsea Women.
Arsenal end the half on top after a fairly sloppy first 45. Neither team got hold of the game after a lot of misplaced passes, but there are still plenty of positives to take away for both managers. The best chance of the half came right at the end with Foord’s long-range effort crashing off the bar twice. With no clear cut chances, both managers will want more creativity from their sides as they seek a crucial win in this London derby.
Second Half
45′ – Substitution – Half-time change by Emma Hayes as Leupolz is off for Sam Kerr.
46′ – Good early chance for Chelsea; Williamson’s weak clearance straight to Pernille Harder who slips England through but her left-foot shot is over.
50′ – Chelsea have started the second half on top with the early chance, also forcing mistakes from the Arsenal defence and midfield with a couple of wayward passes. Not the way Joe Montemurro wanted the half to begin.
53′ – Millie Bright intercepts a wayward pass from an Arsenal player and sets England on her way down the left-hand side, she whips a cross in to Cuthbert but her shot is blocked well.
54′ – Indecisiveness from Berger as Mead pressures her and wins a corner, which leads to nothing.
Embed from Getty Images56′ – Mead pressures Ji in a dangerous area and wins the ball. Driving into the box, she took too long as the pass to Miedema was there, but blocked for a corner.
60′ – Chelsea pressing the Arsenal back line well as Cuthbert intercepts and finds England in acres of space but she scuffs her shot completely.
Arsenal finding it hard to play out from the back, gifting Chelsea with multiple opportunities which they need to eradicate.
63 – Yellow Card – Mead drives at the Chelsea defence down the right-hand side, requiring Ji to pull her back, resulting in a yellow card and a free-kick in a dangerous area.
Katie McCabe sends a low ball in but it is defended well by Chelsea and out for a corner, which is claimed by Berger.
65′ – Substitution – Beth England comes off for Guro Reiten.
69′ – Good punch away from Berger as McCabe finds space down the Arsenal left and fires a cross in. Arsenal putting the pressure on after Chelsea’s flying start to the half.
Embed from Getty Images72′ – Kerr gets in behind after Carlotte Wubben-Moy couldn’t control the ball but McCabe terrifically tracks back and swipes the ball away.
73′ – Great ball in by Ji down the right as Wubben-Moy clears but only as far as Harder, whose shot is blocked again.
75′ – Reiten is down for Chelsea getting treatment. It’s now Chelsea’s turn to play with 10 men for a period of time.
78′ – Another Chelsea player down as Bright’s awkward clearance requires treatment.
82′ -McCabe’s cross deflects right to Foord but she can’t get any contact on it. The resulting corner Williamson meets but heads wide.
86′ – Goal – Arsenal Women 1 – 0 Chelsea Women. (Beth Mead)
Pivotal goal for Arsenal as Miedema charges past Bright and passes it into Mead, who taps it into the net from just close-range.
Chelsea’s unbeaten run is under threat here!
Embed from Getty Images86′ – Substitution – Hayes responds with a double change: Jessie Fleming and Niamh Charles for Ji and Cuthbert.
89′ – Arsenal looking to wind the clock down after their late goal, desperate to see this out.
91′ – Goal – Arsenal Women 1 – 1 Chelsea Women (Wubben-Moy OG)
Heartbreak for Arsenal, but ecstasy for Chelsea! A hopeful ball down the right finds Harder, whose cross deflects off Wubben-Moy and loops over a helpless Zinsberger and into the back of the net.
Embed from Getty Images93′ – So close – Kerr runs in behind for Chelsea and helps the ball over a charging Zinsberger, only to see the ball roll wide.
Fantastic end to this game as both teams are pushing forward for a winner here.
95′ – A late corner for Arsenal swung in by McCabe but punched away by Berger. Chelsea nearly pull away on the counter, however, Walti stops the attack with that the last action of the match.
Full time – Arsenal Women 1 – 1 Chelsea Women.
