Women's Super League
Chelsea WomenChelsea Women3Arsenal WomenArsenal Women2

Chelsea Ladies 3-2 Arsenal Women

Maren Mjelde
Maren Mjelde scores from close range to give Chelsea the lead

Chelsea Ladies won an entertaining WSL 1 London derby against Arsenal Women thanks to a late own goal from Gunners goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal.

Arsenal had twice come from behind to level before van Veenendaal spilled Jonna Andersson's shot into the net.

Maren Mjelde prodded in to give Chelsea a first-half lead, but Vivianne Miedema equalised shortly after the break.

Chelsea's Ji So-yun and Dominique Janssen exchanged scrappy strikes before van Veenendaal's error won it.

In a game of numerous chances and poor defending, Dutch keeper van Veenendaal and opposite number Hedvig Lindahl had made several fine saves to keep the scoring down.

It was also a match littered with scrappy close-range goals, with four of the five creeping over the line.

The victory maintains Chelsea's unbeaten start in WSL 1, with the team having won six of their opening seven games, while the defeat was Arsenal's first in four fixtures.

The Blues remain second in the table, after leaders Manchester City beat Reading 5-2 away later on Sunday.

Chelsea captain Katie Chapman:

"What with the conditions and it being a derby game, it was always going to be an end-to-end game

"At the end of the day we got three points and that is what matters. None of the goals were good goals, they were all scrappy, but we will take it.

"We know our performance wasn't good enough today, but we ground out the win. Winning gives you a boost, it was important to get that today, no matter how scrappy it was."

Arsenal midfielder Jordan Nobbs:

"There are a lot of disappointed faces in the dressing room, but disappointed in a good way because we felt we deserved more from the game today.

"I think we put on a great performance but playing a top team like Chelsea, they have great counter-attacking ability and that's where they've scored their goals today.

"Sari had a great game and made some great saves, both keepers were great today and that shows the type of football we want to play, getting lots of shots and goals. I'm sure it was a good one to watch but we are disappointed with the result."

Line-ups

Chelsea Women

Formation 3-4-1-2

  • 1Lindahl
  • 4Bright
  • 5Flaherty
  • 16Eriksson
  • 3Blundell
  • 18Mjelde
  • 17Chapman
  • 7DavisonSubstituted forAnderssonat 62'minutes
  • 10JiSubstituted forSpenceat 88'minutes
  • 14Kirby
  • 23BachmannSubstituted forCuthbertat 87'minutes

Substitutes

  • 6Asante
  • 8Carney
  • 9Aluko
  • 12Spencer
  • 20Andersson
  • 22Cuthbert
  • 24Spence

Arsenal Women

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1van Veenendaal
  • 18EvansSubstituted forQuinnat 90+1'minutes
  • 19RoseSubstituted forJamesat 88'minutes
  • 6Williamson
  • 3Mitchell
  • 8Nobbs
  • 20Janssen
  • 21van de Donk
  • 9Carter
  • 11Miedema
  • 23MeadSubstituted forMcCabeat 87'minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Scott
  • 13Moorhouse
  • 15McCabe
  • 16Quinn
  • 17O'Reilly
  • 22James
  • 24Hinds
Referee:
Adrian Quelch
Attendance:
2,570

Match Stats

Home TeamChelsea WomenAway TeamArsenal Women
Possession
Home53%
Away47%
Shots
Home16
Away14
Shots on Target
Home11
Away8
Corners
Home5
Away6
Fouls
Home9
Away13

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Chelsea Ladies 3, Arsenal Women 2.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Chelsea Ladies 3, Arsenal Women 2.

  3. Post update

    Hand ball by Drew Spence (Chelsea Ladies).

  4. Post update

    Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea Ladies) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  5. Post update

    Foul by Danielle Carter (Arsenal Women).

  6. Post update

    Francesca Kirby (Chelsea Ladies) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  7. Post update

    Foul by Dominique Janssen (Arsenal Women).

  8. Substitution

    Substitution, Arsenal Women. Louise Quinn replaces Lisa Evans.

  9. Post update

    Foul by Katie Chapman (Chelsea Ladies).

  10. Post update

    Daniëlle van de Donk (Arsenal Women) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  11. Post update

    Attempt saved. Maren Mjelde (Chelsea Ladies) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

  12. Substitution

    Substitution, Chelsea Ladies. Drew Spence replaces Ji So-Yun.

  13. Substitution

    Substitution, Arsenal Women. Lauren James replaces Jemma Rose.

  14. Substitution

    Substitution, Chelsea Ladies. Erin Cuthbert replaces Ramona Bachmann.

  15. Substitution

    Substitution, Arsenal Women. Katie McCabe replaces Beth Mead.

  16. Post update

    Maren Mjelde (Chelsea Ladies) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  17. Post update

    Foul by Jemma Rose (Arsenal Women).

  18. Goal!

    Own Goal by Sari van Veenendaal, Arsenal Women. Chelsea Ladies 3, Arsenal Women 2.

  19. Post update

    Jonna Andersson (Chelsea Ladies) hits the left post with a left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left. Assisted by Hannah Blundell with a cross.

  20. Post update

    Attempt missed. Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal Women) header from the left side of the six yard box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Jordan Nobbs with a cross following a set piece situation.

As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Man City Women66002471718
2Chelsea Women65102442016
3Liverpool Women64021551012
4Arsenal Women63121311210
5Sunderland Women7304718-119
6Reading Women6222141048
7Bristol City Women6213417-137
8Everton Women72051112-16
9B'ham City Women6114713-64
10Yeovil United6006022-220
View full Women's Super League table

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