Chelsea, weakened by several injuries and fitness problems, almost opened the scoring in the seventh minute when Lucy Bronze launched Alyssa Thompson on the right flank; the American winger cut inside and saw her shot deflected onto the post by Laia Codina. The pressure continued from the start of the match when Lauren James escaped Codina and created space to shoot, but was stopped by the same post that Thompson had touched moments before.
But against the run of play, Arsenal opened the scoring. A Katie McCabe free-kick found the head of Stina Blackstenius, who got between Erin Cuthbert and Keira Walsh to send the ball with an unstoppable header past a helpless Hannah Hampton.
Chelsea found themselves trailing 2-0 in the 32nd minute. A fine combination ended with Chloe Kelly collecting the ball unopposed 25 yards from goal, and her chance shot trickled under Hampton’s arms and into the back of the net.
The Blues saw the ball end up in the back of the net just before the break when Veerle Buurman got the better of Codina to head in a free kick, after Kadeisha Buchanan’s deflection put goalkeeper Anneke Borbe offside. However, the referee called a supposed foul by Buurman, and inexplicably the VAR did not deem it necessary to review the action on the pitch, causing a commotion on the line. button.
With 25 minutes to go, Chelsea reduced the deficit in spectacular fashion. Arsenal thought they had cleared the ball from a corner, but James appeared 25 yards out and found the top corner with a sensational shot with his weaker left foot, halfway between a flick and a powerful strike.
However, this respite was short-lived, as Arsenal regained their two-goal advantage. On a quick counterattack, Buchanan tried to press Blackstenius, who preferred to slip the ball to Alessia Russo so that she scored with a powerful shot.
James forced Borbe into a fine save with another masterful strike from distance as Chelsea attempted to reduce the deficit again, and the Blues saw another goal disallowed for a foul after Buchanan kicked the Arsenal goalkeeper to force the ball over the line from a corner. At the other end, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd made a crucial goal-line clearance to deny Lotte Wubben-Moy’s attempt, and the action-packed first leg ended 3-1.
GOAL notes the Chelsea players at the Emirates…
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