Arsenal: Van Domselaar; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Little, Cooney-Cross; Mead, Mariona, Foord; Russo
Substitutes: Zinsberger, Wubben-Moy, Codina, Maanum, Wälti, Kafaji, Blackstenius, Wienroither, Reid
Arsenal have lost their first game under Renée Slegers, losing to Chelsea 1-0. The result leaves Arsenal in third place, ten points behind Chelsea. An even game was decided by the referee, Emily Heaslip, who awarded Chelsea a very dubious penalty late on, and then sent off Katie McCabe for the temerity of complaining about an obviously wrong decision.
Renée Slegers, having rotated midweek for the cup, made one change to the team that beat Crystal Palace last weekend, as Caitlin Foord came into the lineup and Frida Maanum dropped to the bench.
Chelsea started fast, with Macario testing Van Domselaar from range early, and then Kaneryd, after winning possession back from Cooney-Cross, shooting over the bar. Macario then nearly took advantage of a mix-up between Van Domselaar and Williamson before the former scrambled the ball away, and then Erin Cuthbert shot wide. Arsenal were really struggling to play out from the back, with the one spell of possession coming after Russo collected a McCabe clearance and then brought the forward line into play.
Arsenal managed to weather the first twenty minutes, and after a loose Erin Cuthbert pass, Russo seized possession but she was forced wide and then dragged her shot wide. The chance, though, did enough to change some momentum with the game as Arsenal started getting on the ball more.
Mead then had a shot blocked behind for a corner after Bright got a nick on McCabe’s cross. On thirty minutes, Fox was played in behind by Mariona but couldn’t get enough power on the strike.
Macario then nearly put Chelsea ahead on 35 minutes. Charles crossed into the box, and after Williamson got a touch, Macario swiveled and shot from close range, but Van Domselaar parried.
Arsenal’s best chance of the half came in the 42nd minute, after really good build-up play. Cooney-Cross played through the lines to Russo, who turned and played wide to Foord, who went down the right and then played into Russo. Russo laid the ball off to Little, who had Mead wide of her. Little played into Mead, but Mead, who looked to curl her shot, shot wide of the far post.
After the chance, on 44 minutes, Caitlin Foord was forced off with injury. Frida Maanum replaced her, and Mariona went wide.
Chelsea made a change at the break, with Hamano replacing Mayra Ramirez.
Kaneryd weakly shot at Van Domselaar after Williamson’s weak pass was easily intercepted by Hamano. Catley did well to hold up Kaneryd and prevent her from getting enough power on the shot.
In the first portion of the first half, Chelsea’s press was suffocating, and they’d clearly been told to up intensity of the press again, as Cuthbert, in closing Catley down, forced Van Domselaar to claim the rebound.
Lauren James replaced Sandy Baltimore on 57 minutes.
On 66 minutes, Stina Blackstenius replaced Beth Mead, with Russo dropping wide.
Russo immediately combined with Fox, who found Maanum at the top of the box, but her shot was blocked. Maanum then shot from range, but her shot was straight at Hampton.
On 74 minutes, Blacknstenius did really well to hold off Bright and get to the byline. Her cutback came to Mariona, whose shot was blocked by Hampton. The rebound came to Maanum and she shot just over.
On 77 minutes, Reiten replaced Macario and Beever-Jones replaced Kaneryd.
Bronze, getting away from her marker, shot over from a corner.
On 82 minutes, Lauren James won a penalty. She got away from Mariona after a long ball, and was then deemed to have been tripped by Kim Little, though Little got a touch on the ball. The referee, in Michael Oliver style, then gave McCabe two yellows in quick succession. Reiten scored the penalty. 1-0.
Arsenal made a double substitution on 88 minutes. Rosa Kafaji replaced Kim Little and Lotte Wubben-Moy replaced Kyra Cooney-Cross.
There 6 minutes of added time, but the last promising Arsenal attack was stopped after Fox, who was being fouled herself in the Chelsea box, was deemed to have fouled Niahm Charles.
We played brilliantly for 80mins, had the better chances. Then Caldontey did an awful non-challenge on James and suddenly it’s all fallen apart. How McCabe got herself a straight red for dissent I don’t know, so stupid. Very frustrating after so much good play and performances.
It was two yellows in quick succession, but basically yes i agree – stupid.
On the BBC coverage, they showed the “foul” from a different angle, to “prove” that the decision was correct. What it showed was that Kim Little did get a touch on the ball, and they quickly moved on. Late in the game, a player short, there was no way back. And I’m sure that any “foul and abusive language” used by Katie McCabe would have been very mild compared to what one might have heard in a Dublin pub showing the game!
Should have added: We’ve got Chelsea now. We‘re more than capable of beating them, and we won’t be dropping points to crap teams next season.
I felt like I was being gaslit with no one seeming to notice that she clearly got the ball. Even if you want to argue that it’s a foul despite that, it is very weird to not even mention it. Very odd.
The worst part is the narrative that will inevitably come from this, when Arsenal were largely the better team and would have probably felt aggrieved with a draw.
I can’t dispute the PK call too strenuously. It looked, with the benefit of replay, that Little barely brushed the ball with the toe of her boot, but it didn’t alter the path of the ball and was very hard to see, and I doubt the ref saw it. What we see is about 95 percent Little bringing down James. Is a touch everything on a play like that? Even if the ref had seen that barest of touches, would she have let it go? I don’t know. I do know that fouls are usually called when a defender brings… Read more »
Just to be clear, I think it’s possible at times to both get the ball and commit a foul, but the fact that the commentators and pundits at no point even mentioned that she got the ball rather makes me think they just didn’t notice.
If that’s someone’s perspective, their argument invariably goes something like, “even though they got the ball I think it’s a foul because…”
Personally, I suspect that the pundits and referee (who in fairness, only has a real time view from a single angle) simply didn’t see.
Seems the Referees don’t discriminate between Men’s & Women’s teams. Dubious penalties for any team
in red.
Deservedly beaten
Too passive, waiting for the ball, not reacting to immediate pressing tactic.
Williamson and Mead half the players they were before injury
Caldentey technically high but weak physically
Midfield lacks drive
Alternative to Russo is not the standard required
McCabe continues to be an unthinking idiot
Did we watch the same match? We went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the world and outplayed them for large periods of the game, at their own ground.
“Passive” “waiting for the ball”
I don’t know how anyone would watch that game and describe the team’s play with those words. You are so wrong.
He heard someone say that on the commnetary today. Like most critics of Arsenal players, men or women, the view comes from the need to fit into some group of moaners or the cup half full brigade. Sad really.
Much of that was true for the first 15-20 minutes., and occasionally we lapsed afterwards. Some of our players were having “a bit of a day” but they never looked like scoring and we really should have. Some excellent passages of play which should have led to goals. The way I look at it is that we were not at our best, but still looked a match for Chelsea. We put them under enough pressure to affect their decision-making and cause the coach to make several substitutions. We should have won. That’s what I’m hacked off about – us not… Read more »
There’s always one!
Fat Gooner mark 2
For some parts of the game, especially in the 1st half, I agree that our ladies were too slow in decision making which allowed Chelsea to catch them on the ball multiple times. We did play quite well thereafter and should have scored at a least a goal from the great chances we had. Onto the next one!!
You really couldn’t fault the girls. Brilliant application, commendable effort, dominated Chelsea for large spells in the first half, etc. The only frustration is we didn’t take our chances.
The mere fact that we seem to have a plan, are defending better, and just generally playing well is cause for optimism, as opposed to the feelings we had from earlier in the season.
I can fault the players a bit but my goodness we are defending so much better. In previous matches we have been a couple of goals down in the first 20 minutes.
Again, another dubious decision and what about our shout for a penalty where Emily Fox was clearly impeded and kicked in the box. Funny the ref didn’t see that one.
Apart from that, Arsenal played extremely well. My only complaint was if Russo could only have tried to hit the ball first time, on a couple of chances.
One of the commentators said that *Fox* had committed the foul! Unbelievable.
Well played Ladies. I was really hoping that we would be the ones to nick it in injury time. Let’s keep up the good of past weeks. COYG!!!
Honestly I think we outplayed them for 80 minutes, then a terrible halfhearted challenge from Mariona undid all that work. Kim has to challenge, and I think one foot gets the player and the other gets the ball. Then on the McCabe double yellow, she talks herself into the book, and when she gets the yellow screams “FUCK OFF” in the refs face. So I’m not actually going to complain about that one either. We were by far the better team, but Mariona needs to have a hard look at herself, and probably get sat down for the next game.
Sure, I do agree re: Mariona not doing enough to tackle Lauren James. I was so annoyed!!
Very few people do enough to tackle James, that’s the problem. She is both strong and nifty with the ball–but, yea, Mariona has to be do better. The game-winning play….
I agree. Walti and Pelova have James’ number. Especially Walti – she can get the ball off James any time she likes.
Agreed on Mariona – she has been pretty much our best player this season along with Foxy & Russo, but she seemed intimidated by the enormity of the occasion.
Caldontey had a very good game overall, and is normally very tenacious in the tackle, so was a real shame to see her let James (of all people) get away from her.
My first post in regards to women’s football. I started watching the women’s game about 18 months ago, at first as a casual viewer and having it in the background. In the last 12 months I have got into it much more, and I am starting to have opinions (like many men in my early 40s, women’s football always seemed like a bit of a joke, but the quality is such that it is genuinely enjoyable to watch – I still have mates who mock me when I talk about arsenal women players, but I think the change is happening,… Read more »
There have already been one or two female managers in the mens game, but all at lower levels. I guess it will happen someday. I some suggesting that Sabrina Weigman get the England men’s team job. I doubt that was ever a serious consideration
This is the Women’s blog.
And with regards to Arsenal’s position to be part of the elite it’s absolutely true. Some would argue that we’ve not done enough over the last few years and maybe stuck with JE too long. I see Chelsea are in line to break transfer records. Arsenal have a lot of good will in the bank with people that have followed women’s football for a longer time, but it will all be for nothing if this present explosion of viewers & fans only recognise Chelsea as the dominant force. Sometimes it seems mens football was only invented in the early 90s… Read more »
I look at the City squad (forwards Bunny Shaw, Kerolin, Viv, Fujino…) and Chelsea, I won’t even list them here so as not to humiliate them. Our shots on goal were 0, look at the statistics, I think the club has no ambition, no technical director, no assistant coach for Renée, no assistant analyst. Bompastor and Gareth are doing well with their coaching staffs, and this eases their burden.
It’s easy to overestimate other club’s players and underestimate your own, BUT I agree that we need to replace Miedema with a world class striker. Games like this is why you need them. They score when the team absolutely needs them to score, regardless of whether they individually are having a good game or not. Mead was at this level before her ACL injury, Russo has been on a great run but is not *proven* world class. Mariona is a world class midfielder, not a striker. Which is a long way of me saying that my fantasy signing is Katoto.… Read more »
Chelsea had a fast start but after 5 or 10 minutes, I knew that we would stand up to them. We kept them out the whole game (except for the penalty, obv). We grew into the game and played well in passages, but were still less sharp and intense than Chelsea. Some players were great, others not so much. Mariona was invisible and a bit of a liability at times. Kim was excellent, penalty concession notwithstanding. Leah had a very so-so game and because it was such a windy day, one of her super powers – the big switches –… Read more »
Agree with pretty much all the individual points on players you make – Mariona has been a brilliant signing but for some reason she didn’t show up today. But you forgot to mention Emily Fox, who once again was superb. Katie did have a decent game especially her surprise breakthrough towards goal, but as for the Red Card – say no more! Some great attacking plays from KCC.
On balance, we should have edged it & the penalty was pretty soft.
Emily Fox was also a bit up and down, I felt – excellent a lot of the time, but also too easily pushed off the ball, especially in the opening phase. And another one who should have put away her chance.
She needed to shoot that ball straight off the pass. She opted to take a touch, which gave defenders time to crowd her, and she could then only get off a weak shot.
Forgot to praise Steph Catley. She was rock solid again.
And Doomslayer. Some awesome saves.
Up until the kick was taken I really thought she was going to save it!
We had lost any chance of the WSL title before Jonas left but we cannot afford to keep missing our chances with both the blue and red Manchesters trying to grab the Champions League spots.
Last time they played at Stamford Bridge AWFC did not turn up and lost 3-1. What a difference this was, they played so well after the first fiteen minutes. Too much of a McCabe fanzine going on here to say too much except that she used her stupid gob to the usual diplomatic effect and had she been able to control herself (Not normal) things may have been different. Overall they deserved at least a draw if not more. In two minds about the penalty but without the dubious VAR, who knows? Well done AWFC, proud of what you did… Read more »
Yep. I don’t care about the penalty, it was bad luck. The thing is that up to that point, we were not going to lose.
I wasn’t able to watch the match live and so have only just seen it on iPlayer. I thought it was heading for a creditable nil-nil draw…..Putting aside the frustration, Chelsea are being touted as the best team in Europe yet we matched them. There was some sloppy passing from both sides, which can be put down to the conditions, and the pressure they were putting on each other. I’ve not been as enthusiastic about KCC as some others here; however, today I thought she was the best midfielder on the park. I do think today was the first time… Read more »
Agree with all your points made – we were (just) the better team today – but Chelsea still have Kerr to return to the fold along with the new defender from USA; and Reiten & James are newly returning from injury.
However, the next time we play them I reckon we have a more than decent chance of being victors – the scoring chances just need to be taken!
Indeed the next time will probably be the League Cup Final!
Awarding a penalty by the referee is like ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ in the minds of the jury in a courtroom.
There was reasonable doubt today and it showed.