London is red. Mead and Caldentey silenced Stamford bridge
London is red. That's true after Saturday's Women's Super League match, when Arsenal defeated their city rivals Chelsea 2-0. The previous match between the two teams ended 1-1. Chelsea has thus failed to beat Arsenal in the league this year.
The Gooners entered the match significantly weakened. Olivia Smith was unable to play after receiving a red card in the previous League Cup match, and Chloe Kelly is still recovering from injury, which greatly limited the offensive options. Leah Williamson is also still recovering from injury, while Emily Fox has already returned to the starting lineup.
The first half was very evenly matched, with play swinging from side to side and spectators treated to some superb saves by both goalkeepers, Hampton and Borbe. Chelsea's biggest star, Sam Kerr, failed to live up to expectations and was substituted at half-time.
The wait for a goal in the second half was broken by Beth Mead, who has been very successful in front of goal this season, and shortly afterwards Mariona Caldentey followed suit, giving Arsenal a comfortable 2-0 lead. Stina Blackstenius also had a chance to increase the lead, but Lucy Bronze denied her attempt.
As time went on, Chelsea's chances of equalizing became slimmer, and despite Lauren James' excellent opportunities, the Blues were unable to break their scoring drought, with Anneke Borbe providing excellent saves for Arsenal.
The score remained unchanged even after five minutes of injury time, and Arsenal could celebrate three points. If Manchester City beat London City Lionesses on Sunday, they will be nine points ahead of Chelsea. Arsenal, on the other hand, are now just one point behind Chelsea and have secured their place in the top three, which would guarantee them a place in European competitions next season.
For Sonia Bompastor, this is her second defeat overall and her first in the London derby.
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