Chelsea Women celebrated their new world-record signing, Naomi Girma, in front of a record-breaking crowd of 34,302 supporters at Stamford Bridge. The home team secured a 1-0 victory against Arsenal Women, thanks to a late penalty conversion by Guro Reiten. This win extends Chelsea's impressive home record to 41 victories from their last 43 games, a streak that dates back almost four years. The result also ends Arsenal's 13-game unbeaten run under manager Renee Slegers.
Before kick-off, Chelsea unveiled Naomi Girma, whose arrival has been highly anticipated. Girma's addition is expected to bolster Chelsea's defense, as head coach Sonia Bompastor noted her ability to bring confidence and versatility to the backline.
"She [Girma] is a defender who is comfortable on the ball, she will bring a lot of confidence to the team, she can pass long and short and dribble." – Sonia Bompastor
Chelsea started the match with aggression, eager for an early lead. Arsenal, who had not won a league game at Stamford Bridge since 2018, appeared tense in possession. Chelsea capitalized on this, creating multiple opportunities in the opening minutes. Arsenal's manager Renee Slegers acknowledged their initial challenge.
"From our end, we had to get through the first 10 minutes, we knew they would come out fast and try and get behind us, which they did." – Renee Slegers
The game remained goalless until late in the match when Lauren James made a driving run into the box. Arsenal captain Kim Little was involved in a controversial challenge that resulted in a penalty for Chelsea. Little insisted she made contact with the ball first.
"It is hard to see from the sideline, but Kim [Little] gets to the ball first. It is not the time to comment more on this, but we should have positioned ourselves better." – Sonia Bompastor
Guro Reiten stepped up to take the penalty and converted it successfully, securing the win for Chelsea. The match saw further drama when Arsenal's Katie McCabe received a second yellow card for dissent and was subsequently sent off. Coach Sonia Bompastor expressed her satisfaction with her substitutes' performance.
"The subs [Lauren James and Guro Reiten] made a great impact, they have a lot of qualities, it gives you a headache as a manager, but it is my job to make these decisions. They had the right mentality [when they came on], even if they did not start the game and this is really good for me." – Sonia Bompastor
This victory not only extends Chelsea's league dominance but also places them nine points ahead of Manchester City at the top of the table. Arsenal now trails Chelsea by ten points in the league standings.
Bompastor highlighted the psychological advantage of this win and voiced the importance of maintaining focus throughout the season.
"This is a huge win psychologically, but we need to keep the right mentality and players fit, but you never know in football." – Sonia Bompastor
Despite the loss, Arsenal can take solace in their strong performance leading up to this match. Coach Renee Slegers acknowledged their shortcomings while looking forward to future challenges.
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