Oh dear.. Arsenal drop to 4th in WSL after 0-1 defeat to Chelsea women & McCabe red card

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·27 gennaio 2025

Oh dear.. Arsenal drop to 4th in WSL after 0-1 defeat to Chelsea women & McCabe red card

Chelsea Women extended their lead at the top of the WSL to nine points after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Arsenal Women at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. The match, played in front of a record Stamford Bridge crowd of 34,302, was a tense affair that remained goalless for most of the game.

The first half saw Arsenal weather an early Chelsea storm before growing into the game. Our Gunners created several promising opportunities, with Alessia Russo, Beth Mead, and Emily Fox all coming close to breaking the deadlock. However, a combination of our Gunners poor finishing and solid Chelsea defending kept the score level at halftime.

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The second half remained a closely contested battle until the 84th minute when the game was turned on its head. Chelsea substitute Lauren James, who had been introduced in the 57th minute, was brought down in the penalty area by Arsenal captain Kim Little. The referee pointed to the spot, awarding Chelsea a penalty.

When the penalty decision was awarded, Arsenal’s Katie McCabe received two yellow cards in quick succession for dissent, resulting in her being sent off the pitch. Our Ireland captain’s frustration was evident as she kicked the tunnel on her way off the pitch, an action that may lead to further consequences.

Guro Reiten stepped up to take the penalty and calmly converted, giving Chelsea the lead and ultimately securing the victory. The result dealt a significant blow to Arsenal Women’s title hopes, leaving them 10 points adrift of Chelsea and ending their 13-game unbeaten run under new manager Renee Slegers. The match was a showcase of the fine margins in top-level women’s football, with Chelsea’s late penalty and McCabe’s red card proving decisive in a game that Arsenal had arguably edged for long periods. The result strengthened Chelsea’s position in the title race and left Arsenal facing an almost impossible uphill battle to catch the league leaders.

Manchester United and Manchester City were within 1 point of Arsenal who were in 2nd place as we went into the weekend but both won their WSL matches, which leaves our Gunners in 4th place and as good as out of the WSL title race.

Looking at the positives though, our Gunners are still in the Women’s Champions league and in contention for the FA Cup and League Cup. No matter which way we look at it though, it was a disappointing result.. But hey, you can’t win ’em all!

How are you feeling Gooners?

Michelle M

Follow JustArsenal’s Gooner Women on Just Gooner Women on Twitter for regular updates on the Arsenal Womens Team!

Do you want to read more about the Arsenal Women’s Team? Click here….