Chelsea secured a vital 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the Women's Super League (WSL) on Sunday, thanks to a late penalty converted by Guro Reiten. The match, held at Stamford Bridge, attracted a record crowd of 34,302 spectators. Chelsea capitalized on their numerical advantage after Arsenal's Katie McCabe received a red card for dissent, setting the stage for the decisive moment.
The key turning point came late in the game when Lauren James, making her first league appearance since a hamstring injury in October, made a driving run into the box. This led to the penalty that Reiten confidently slotted home. Arsenal's Kim Little contended that she had made contact with the ball before bringing down James, but her protests were to no avail.
"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
The match marked a significant milestone for Chelsea, who have now won 41 of their last 43 home games, a streak that began in February 2021. This was also Arsenal's first league visit to Stamford Bridge since 2018. The Gunners faced an uphill battle as they fell 10 points behind league leaders Chelsea, following the end of their 13-game unbeaten run under manager Renee Slegers.
Arsenal's new signing, Naomi Girma, was introduced to the fans before kick-off, although she was not yet ready to participate in the game. Girma is known for her composure on the ball and her ability to pass both long and short, as well as her defensive prowess.
"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. Out of possession, she is smart and has a lot of skill, so she will make a big impact on this team." – Sonia Bompastor
Chelsea's head coach Sonia Bompastor praised the impact of her substitutes, including James and Reiten, who played crucial roles in securing the win.
"Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor spoke of the 'nice headache' of having the likes of Lauren James and Guro Reiten to call upon from the bench as the subs combined for the WSL champions' crucial late winner against Arsenal." – Richard Morgan
"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
For Arsenal, manager Renee Slegers acknowledged the pressure his team faced from the outset.
"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 match was a tense affair with Chelsea's depth of talent proving decisive. The Blues remain firm favorites for the WSL title due to their formidable squad and consistent performances.
"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
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