Arsenal Women burned brightly in the gloaming at Kingsmeadow yesterday, winning 5-0 away to defending champions Chelsea in a performance burnished with class and conviction.
Two goals apiece for Vivianne Miedema and Jordan Nobbs, and one for the outstanding Kim Little, inflicted Chelsea’s first home defeat since May 2016 and brought a shattering conclusion to their run of 25 unbeaten matches in the Women’s Super League.
It is six seasons since once-dominant Arsenal won the WSL; in recent years even a place in Europe has eluded them. Joe Montemurro, headhunted from Australia, is the third manager to be entrusted with restoring pride since Laura Harvey headed Stateside and it is beginning to look as if the 49-year-old Melburnian is the answer.
Impressive start to the season
“It is an important step; the game plan went well,” said Montemurro, showing by example his appeal for the players to remain “level-headed”.
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes, who had not lost as heavily since working in US college football, was sanguine. “I thought we were dominant at the start, but they went one up and we didn’t keep our heads cool,” she said. “We haven’t been clinical enough or good enough defensively. Being humbled reminds you you are alive.”
Arsenal’s start to the season has been impressive, but even the 7-0 opening day drubbing of a disjointed Liverpool did not prepare anyone for this demolition of the double-winners.
Arsenal knew before kick-off that only victory would keep them top for Manchester City were overtaking them, if temporarily, having gone three up in 17 minutes against West Ham in the early kick-off. The final score in Manchester was 7-1, but by then Arsenal were already on course to remain at the summit.
Scissor tackle
Chelsea began brightly and it took a smart clearance by Lisa Evans to prevent Adelina Engman converting an early opening. However, after 20 minutes the Finn, in the other area, tripped Emma Mitchell as she moved to complete a one-two with Miedema. Little tucked in the penalty and Arsenal took control.
Little would go on to run the game before being kicked out of it by a scissor tackle from Drew Spence that should have been a red card – “a horrendous tackle” said Spence’s England colleague Nobbs. A lenient referee also overlooked a kick by Arsenal’s Danielle van der Donk at Ji So-Yun which provoked an angry reaction.
Chelsea did still threaten in a high-quality first half. Ramona Bachmann’s cross hit the post and Pauline Peyraud-Magnin did well to hold a Ji free-kick. But seven minutes from the break Arsenal struck again when Beth Mead flicked Peyraud-Magnin’s clearance to Little, who played in Miedema. The Dutch striker’s shot deflected in off Magdalena Eriksson.
Chelsea’s last chance to get back into the game went when Leah Williamson reacted quicker than Spence after Bachmann’s shot was spilled a minute after the break.
Soon after, a Nobbs cross looped over Carly Telford and Mead set up Miedema for her ninth goal of the season. Arsenal declared after the excellent Mead fed Nobbs for the 67th-minute fifth, leaving Chelsea to regroup ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League tie with Fiorentina.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Telford; Carter (Blundell, 73), Bright, Eriksson, Andersson (Riley, 59); Thorisdottir, Ji; Bachmann, Spence, Engman (Cuthbert, 55); Kirby.
Arsenal (4-1-4-1): Peyraud-Magnin; Evans, Williamson, Bloodworth, Mitchell; Walti; Van de Donk, Nobbs, Little (McCabe, 65), Mead (Samuelsson, 85); Miedema.
Referee: S Purkiss
Attendance: 2,020
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