Report as Sophie Ingle turned home via the post in the first half to see Chelsea ahead; Sam Kerr slotted home just after the break; Arsenal were punished again for a lack of cutting edge, with Stina Blackstenius, Frida Maanum and Caitlin Foord among the players to miss big chances
Sunday 26 February 2023 21:03, UK
Goals from Sophie Ingle and Sam Kerr saw Women's FA Cup holders Chelsea into the quarter-finals, beating a wasteful Arsenal 2-0 at Kingsmeadow.
The match pitted two of the Women's Super League's heavyweights against each other in an early round, also serving as a preview of next Sunday's Conti Cup final between the two sides at Selhurst Park.
But Arsenal will need to sharpen their finishing if they are to lift their first silverware since 2019, having wasted chance after chance in south west London.
However, the tie showed once again just how potent Chelsea are, even if they are not playing their best. Sophie Ingle scored in the 21st minute via the left post, just after Stina Blackstenius had lifted the ball over the crossbar in one of three gilt-edged Gunners chance in the first half.
Arsenal dominated much of the second period too, but Sam Kerr - making her 100th Chelsea appearance - tapped home 11 minutes after the restart to send the reigning champions into the last eight.
Despite their best efforts, the Gunners were unable to find a reply, while Chelsea continue their march towards a third successive FA Cup trophy.
The pendulum swung in both directions early on, but Arsenal saw the better chances fall their way.
A cross into the area from Caitlin Foord deflected off Blackstenius, causing a defensive mix-up between Ann-Katrin Berger and Magda Eriksson. The ball looked to be rolling into an open net, but Niamh Charles raced back to hack it off the line.
Soon after, Leah Williamson's long ball was nodded on by Maanum, with Blackstenius muscling ahead of Eriksson to collect. However, she lifted her effort well over the crossbar.
Three minutes later, Chelsea were ahead. Lauren James drifted in from the right wing with no Arsenal pressure, before squaring the ball for Ingle at the top of the area. She then fired home via the left post to see the FA Cup holders ahead.
It was a frantic end to the half too as Arsenal saw two more huge chances pass them by. In the 38th minute, Blackstenius' run was picked out by a long ball from Foord. She drove down the left of the area but her squared ball was just missed by Maanum's outstretched foot.
After Manuela Zinsberger made an acrobatic stop to keep out Jelena Cankovic's strike, the Gunners went close again. Katie McCabe's strike was fumbled away by Berger, but the goalkeeper reacted well to then smother the ball away from the feet of the incoming Foord, who only needed to lift it over the goalkeeper.
Chelsea added their second against the run of play 11 minutes after the break. It was a delightful throughball from Cankovic that slotted Kerr through and she easily tapped past Zinsberger, who had committed herself too early.
Arsenal's lack of luck was epitomised in the 66th minute. After a sensational run from Foord, spinning past Eve Perisset on the left, her cross deflected off Blackstenius and onto Eriksson. However, the Chelsea captain's touch hit Berger in the face from close range before being cleared. Blackstenius too was flagged for offside.
The Gunners continued to press for goals as the half continued, but seemed to send everything at Berger as the goalkeeper helped guide Chelsea into the next round.
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes to BBC Sport:
"That's the mentality of champions. Some of those players got off of a plane on Friday, Thursday night for Sam Kerr. It's not pretty, it was sluggish and [there were] technical errors, but tactically, they carried out everything I asked of them. In the second half, I was happy to sit in a low block.
"It's always mentality, because when your legs are heavy and your brain is tired, the commitment to staying in the game, taking chances at the right moment. Across the team, I thought it was a resilient performance and comfortable even though we didn't have much of the ball in the second half, which was intentional.
"[At half time] we needed to solve some things defensively in the middle phases, which we did. I thought the game would be won and lost in transition. Arsenal are a transition team and score the vast majority of their goals in under four passes, so our rest defence wasn't good enough in the first half. We adjusted that and it was quite comfortable in the second half."
On what Chelsea can learn ahead of next week's Conti Cup final: "We learnt from the first game at the Emirates and adapted to that, and I'm sure Jonas (Eidevall) will learn from this today and that's how coaching works.
"There's a bit of adaption from both. But we've got so much fluidity and flexibility, we can jump between situations and systems because we've had one manager coaching the team for 10 years - that's the difference."
Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall:
"It is not normal or ordinary to have so many more goalscoring opportunities than Chelsea at Kingsmeadow. I don't expect us to come here and create more than we did, we created enough in order to win the game. But they are brutally efficient, hats off to them, we are not.
"It is about creating the environment in putting players in those situations in training so they can make it a habit and not overthink it. To keep on going, going, going. A lot of times players think they need to do differently but it's just small details.
"I would be worried if it was players I had never seen score before. These are players that know they can score a lot of goals so it's easier to keep that belief.
"When I see our performances against Chelsea, we are getting closer to them. The games I saw when I prepared before I came [to Arsenal], Chelsea were very dominant in some of those games and were very effective in the way they pressed Arsenal high. Arsenal could not impose their possession style on them.
"I think we saw today an Arsenal side that moves the ball well and plays well out of pressure. But I am always the optimist so I am always trying to see the things we are doing better and I can see that development.
"I am sitting here with that feeling but we need to keep on working hard to give Chelsea an even harder match in the future."
Sky Sports' Charlotte Marsh:
"Sunday's FA Cup defeat may represent the most frustrating matchday for Arsenal since they lost Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema.
"Jonas Eidevall was vocal in his need for a goalscorer in January. Despite world-record bids and last-ditch efforts, none materialised.
"Since the closure of the window, there have been moments where it's hamstrung Arsenal. A goalless draw against West Ham and defeat to Man City - both in the WSL - are two that spring to mind.
"But defeat to Chelsea sees another avenue for silverware closed off for another year. They will need to battle against Emma Hayes' mentality monsters in both the Conti Cup final next Sunday and in the WSL if they are to clinch either of those trophies this season.
"Even more frustrating is that all the components were there for an Arsenal win. Even Hayes admitted her side were not at their best and the Gunners had all the creativity and possession to fashion the chances they needed.
"But the final product was sorely lacking and the absence of a goalscorer laid bare. Blackstenius has struggled for form recently and looks like a player with pressure on her shoulders. While Foord, Maanum and Catley among others impressed in other areas, they too are not renowned for their goals.
"They also admittedly faced an inspired Ann-Katrin Berger, who seemed to have a magnet between her gloves and the ball in the final 20 minutes of the game, and fell foul to some bad luck at times.
"It remains a conundrum that Eidevall has to continually find answers from inside his own squad. That being said, if Arsenal do manage to best Chelsea in next weekend's final, it could offer the Gunners the boost they need for the final stretch of the season."
Bunny Shaw scored four goals as Manchester City thrashed Bristol City 8-1, while Manchester United were 5-0 winners against Durham.
Brighton were also 5-0 winners against Coventry United, while fellow East Sussex side Lewes reached the quarter-finals for the first time, beating Cardiff City 6-1 as Ellie Mason scored a hat-trick.
Two other all-WSL ties were decided on penalties. Aston Villa beat West Ham 7-6 on spot-kicks after a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes. Reading beat Tottenham 5-4 in a shootout following a goalless draw.
Birmingham needed extra-time to beat Charlton, with Ashley Hodson scoring the winner in a 1-0 victory.
Chelsea's next game is again at home to Arsenal, with this meeting coming in the Conti Cup on Sunday; kick-off 3pm. Emma Hayes' side then host Brighton in the WSL on Wednesday March 8, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 7.30pm.
After their trip to Selhurst Park on Sunday, Arsenal host Liverpool in the WSL on Wednesday March 8; kick-off 7.15pm.
