Report as Beth Mead opened the scoring inside eight minutes; Johanna Rytting Kaneryd equalised for Chelsea soon after; Quickfire goals from Amanda Ilestedt and Alessia Russo saw Arsenal into a 3-1 lead; Russo added her second from the spot as the Gunners go level on points with Chelsea
Monday 11 December 2023 09:36, UK
An Alessia Russo double helped Arsenal to a huge 4-1 win against Chelsea in front of a record WSL crowd at the Emirates Stadium and ignited the title race in the process.
The Blues were three points ahead of Arsenal and Manchester City heading into the game, but a lacklustre display across the board saw them lose their first league game of the season in front of a new WSL attendance record of 59,042.
Beth Mead fired Arsenal ahead inside eight minutes, but Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (13) levelled things up soon after in an electric start.
But two goals in two first-half minutes - coupled with some questionable Chelsea defending turned the tide in the Gunners' favour.
Amanda Ilestedt (36) nodded the hosts in front before Russo (38) scored the first of her two goals, pulling away from Maren Mjelde to slot home Arsenal's third.
After three half-time changes, Chelsea looked more solid - but a sliding challenge from Ann-Katrin Berger on Russo saw the Gunners awarded a penalty. The England striker coolly slotted home (74) and the Blues could not muster a reply and slipped to their first league defeat of the campaign.
Chelsea, however, do remain top of the league on goal difference, although are now level on 22 points with Arsenal.
"That's as bad as I've seen us for a long time," Emma Hayes said after the game. "Arsenal had four shots on goal in the first half and three goals. If we want to compete, we have to be better than that.
"The better team won by a country mile and they bullied us... I think all phases of our play were poor. This is not about particular individuals, I think as a team, that was disappointing."
By the 13th minute, both teams had already found the net. Arsenal opened things up as Victoria Pelova was found inside the area after a fine break from the hosts. She in turn picked out an unmarked Mead, who used a quick switch of direction to find her space before firing home.
Chelsea had worked Manuela Zinsberger in the interim and found the net five minutes later. Rytting Kaneryd drove into the area before powering her shot through the legs of Steph Catley and past the outstretched hand of the goalkeeper.
Arsenal continued to see the better of the play as the game continued, and made the breakthrough again in the 36th minute. It was a simple header from Ilestedt from a corner, with Berger going too early to claim, allowing the Arsenal defender to nod home.
Soon after, the Gunners made it three. It was a brilliant ball over the top from Lia Walti, picking out the run of Russo. She peeled away easily from Mjelde before easily slotting home past Berger.
It was no shock to see Emma Hayes make three changes at half-time, with Mjelde, Sjoeke Nusken and Eve Perisset hooked for Fran Kirby, Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence.
It was a more even performance from Chelsea after the break, with a penalty shout from the visitors, following a foul on Kirby, being waved away by referee Rebecca Welch.
But Arsenal were awarded a penalty with around 20 minutes to play. As Russo tried to latch on to a through ball, she was bundled off the ball by Jess Carter, with Berger then sliding in across a rain-soaked surface to send the striker tumbling over.
Despite Berger's protests, the decision stood and Russo made no mistake in slotting home for Arsenal's fourth.
The goal seemed to shake Chelsea's confidence once again, with the Gunners looking the more likely to add another before full-time. However, some alert defending kept them at bay as Arsenal blew the WSL title race wide open.
Sky Sports' Charlotte Marsh at the Emirates:
This one will sting for Emma Hayes and Chelsea. They simply do not lose games in this manner. In a footballing sense, they are usually the bullies and not the bullied.
Chelsea have not always played at their best - it's just not possible every week - but they have come away with results against other teams.
However, the slick Arsenal attack which has been revving up for a big moment punished Chelsea in all of their weakest areas. Hayes was right when she said it was disappointing across the board.
Eve Perisset and Maren Mjelde struggled in the first half, the latter too easily outpaced by Russo for Arsenal's third. Half-time introductions Ashley Lawrence and Kadeisha Buchanan did shore things up, making vital interceptions, especially late on.
However, it was clear that Millie Bright's presence in the centre of defence was sorely missed. Hayes expects her captain to be out until after Christmas.
Ann-Katrin Berger - usually so reliable for Chelsea - should not have come out so early for Arsenal's second, which all Ilestedt to nod home.
While she will maintain she should not have been penalised for her bundle into Russo, Berger should have allowed Carter to deal with the situation. As an experienced 'keeper, she knows as soon as she comes out, she is taking a big risk. That did not pay off for her today.
Arsenal also did a brilliant job of stifling the talents of Lauren James and Sam Kerr. Two players who are so influential and key to Chelsea's attack were not given any time on the ball. The Blues were unable to counteract that with so many areas just not clicking.
Chelsea have suffered defeats before - some coming against Arsenal at the Emirates - and recovered, but it does blow the WSL title race wide open. These encounters against fellow top sides can often have a huge say in where the trophy ends up.
However, expect these two to go toe-to-toe for that WSL title. Let's not discount Manchester City either, as we settle in for a gripping five months.
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes:
"We were bullied in the duels, in the number of duels we lost in the game. You can't concede three goals from four shots at any level of football and expect to win a game… I felt as a team, we just struggled. This isn't about any one player, we struggled as a team. It was a long 98 minutes today.
"The last time we had a defeat like this in the Conti Cup final, we did OK. You have to get beaten, you can't go a whole season unbeaten, there are lots of top teams.
"But what you cannot do is give away three goals before the half and then just give it you've given it up. You could say they could have scored more in the second half. They're in a winning position, they commit numbers forward, they're on top they're playing at home. Points are irrelevant, but we weren't good enough going forward either.
"We talk like teams don't lose football matches. We've lost the football match, but it is not the end of the world. Are we disappointed? Of course we are.
"But we've not lost the title, we've not lost the final, just three points. It's disappointment not just with result but also the performance."
Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall to BBC Sport:
"It is a really strong performance, especially the first half when we killed the game. That is the best we have played this season, we have shown out potential which we know we have, but we have not really played at that level, so that was really pleasing to see.
"For us, if I am going to summarise in some ways when we played Chelsea here two and half seasons ago and I was knee sliding after that game as that felt big.
"Now the only thing that matters is the position in the league. It is great that we won today, I am really proud of the performance, but let's not get carried away. It does not count for anything if we are not ready for Saturday against Tottenham.
"There are still two more games till Christmas, even with how great that was. There is another game on Wednesday and then on Saturday, so it is not Christmas yet!"
Arsenal host the first of two North London Derbies against Tottenham in the Women's League Cup on Wednesday December 13. Kick-off 7pm.
The pair then face each other three days later, this time at Spurs in the WSL, on Saturday December 16, live on Sky Sports. Kick-off 12pm.
Chelsea host Group D leaders BK Hacken in the Champions League on Thursday December 14, kick-off 8pm. The Blues then head to Bristol City in the WSL on Sunday December 17. Kick-off 2pm.
