Women’s football is back. After nearly three and a half weeks without competitive football for the Chelsea Women, Emma Hayes’ side returns to action against its greatest league rival. Jonas Eidevall and the Gunners have been ravaged with injuries to two of their top players this season, but with a game in hand just three points behind the Blues, Arsenal hopes this could be the match to deter a red-hot Chelsea. The Gunners will play at Emirates Stadium for the sixth time this season.
Leah Williamson and Arsenal have outscored their opposition 10 to five, dropping just one match in the WSL in the confines of the ninth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom. What better venue for the top-two teams in the English top flight to resume league play than an arena that seats over 60,000 people?
The attendance numbers would be through the roof given the layoff, the quality of the teams, and what is at stake on January 15. A win would put CFC on a clear path to its fourth straight league title, but if Arsenal somehow pulls off the upset, the Gunners would have to be considered in the driver’s seat of the WSL title race.
The two clubs have matched up against each other an astounding 29 times, which is a jarring number when it comes to women’s football. The west London outfit has won just one of the last four league contests, capturing just one point against the Gunners last season. In cup competitions, the Blues have won five consecutive matches, including a resounding 3-0 victory over the Gunners at Wembley.
The previous time CFC defeated Arsenal on the road was in January 2019, but none of those matches were played at the Emirates. In the last seven meetings in all competitions, the Blues have outscored Arsenal 15 to five with Sam Kerr, Guro Reiten, and Fran Kirby combining for seven of those goals.
That’s outrageous! 🤯@samkerr1 with an incredible chip over Zinsberger 🍟@ChelseaFCW #WomensFACupFinal pic.twitter.com/uFEDQlSVbG
— Women's FA Cup (@FACupWomens) December 5, 2021
Hayes’ side has shut out the Gunners in the last three matchups following an extremely controversial 3-2 loss to open the campaign last season. In addition to the clean sheets, the last player not named Beth Mead or Vivianne Miedema to score against the Blues in the WSL was current Lyon midfielder Danielle van de Donk, all the way back in October 2019.
Mead and Miedema may be the next victims of a devastating ACL issue currently ravaging women’s football worldwide. But the quality of the Gunners has been evident, helping them surge to the top of Group C in the Champions League.
Leaders like Caitlin Foord, and Kim Little have been complemented by Frida Maanum, Katie McCabe, and Swedish attacker Stina Blackstenius to help keep the success going after injuries to arguably the club’s two most significant threats going forward. The 23-year-old Maanum has been the surprise of the season for the Gunners in her second season in north London. The Norwegian international has started six of the nine WSL contests so far this season, netting 10 goals in all competitions, including a hat-trick last time out against FC Zurich.
Eidevall and his club have been linked with several attacking options during the winter transfer window, including Debinha from the North Carolina Courage of the NWSL in the United States. Fitting players in a new system, especially a top side like the Gunners is going to take some time. The cohesion of the Blues squad towards the end of 2022, especially against Paris Saint-Germain was apparent and could carry over into the new year.
It is a battle between the best defensive team and the highest-scoring offensive club in the WSL this season. Arsenal, and Chelsea are the epitome of women’s football in England, and when they meet up, a spectacle is destined to be the result. There is nothing CFC fans, and the entire club would love more than to defeat their London rivals at the Emirates to open the 2023 calendar year. The two will meet again in the WSL at the end of May, but this match considering the amount of time each club has off could arguably prove to be more essential when the end of the campaign is here.