Stamford Bridge was host to Arsenal last weekend in a dramatic, end-to-end, London derby. Arsenal, despite their recent run of form, struggled to convert chances to goals, reiterating their tough start to last season.
The first 20 minutes saw Arsenal dominate possession, although with two shots hitting the post, and others blocked. Chelsea regained control of the match, however, after Thompson scored in the 39th minute, following a rebounded attempt. The goal was facilitated by mistakes from Arsenal’s defence, with Catley and Mariona both struggling to control the ball under pressure. Thompson, who joined Chelsea from the USA in 2025, deserves credit for the goal, which was well-placed and assertive.
Arsenal persevered in the second half, with blocked attempts from Kelly and Russo, but failed to score when it counted. The Gunners’ fans weren’t deterred, however, as the loudest cheers in the stadium came from them.
Katie McCabe had a wonderful game against her ex-club, having signed with Chelsea over the summer. She and Bronze proved a formidable team, setting up plays, blocking shots, and charging down Arsenal players.
This loss ended Arsenal’s unbeaten run in the WSL, which started back in October 2025. Arsenal also have a difficult run of matches ahead of them, playing Manchester City and Spurs next month, who both won their matches over the weekend, and are currently the top two teams in the table.
Chelsea are now only two points adrift of Manchester City at the top of the table, and, even in these early stages, look to be in contention for the title. Arsenal, however, have a lot more work to do if they want to be challenging for top spots towards the end of the season.
“Inside Stamford Bridge Stadium – Chelsea v Peterborough – geograph.org.uk – 5253336” by Richard Humphrey is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
