Blues cling on for vital three WSL points in 2-1 win at Arsenal as pressure mounts on Gunners boss Eidevall
By Paul Lagan at Emirates Stadium
Arsenal 1 v Chelsea 2
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Chelsea produced a sensational rearguard action to defend a two goal lead, they let in one, but managed to cling on for dear life to secure three vital WSL points and ramp up the pressure on Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall.
And early strike from player of the match Mayra Ramirez was added to on 16 minutes by Sandy Baltimore.
From that point on Arsenal did their best to salvage pride if not a point and they almost did both.
But failure means an end to an unhappy week for the Gunners who were hammered by Bayern Munich in the Champions League in midweek, following a drab 0-0 draw at home to Everton at the weekend.
By contrast it's a 100 per cent record for Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor as the Blues top the WSL table with nine points from three games.
Both sides had early half chances but it was the Blues on four minutes who scored through Mayra Ramirez with an intuitive bicycle kick which left Arsenal's goalkeeper Daphne Van Domselaar rooted to the spot.
Arsenal responded well with the shaly Chelsea rearguard holding up – just.
But up front, the Blues looked continuously dangerous.
Johanna Rytting-Kaneryd buzzed down the right, passed to Lauren James who raced into the Arsenal area on the right.
She coolly clipped a deep cross to the far post and on hand was left-back Sandy Baltimore who headed powerfully home on the 16th minute to double the visitors' lead.
Yet still Arsenal pushed forward and Baltimore spared Hannah Hampton's blushes on 22 minutes, when she missed a cross from the corner but the defender headed clear.
Leah Williamson missed a sitter when she latched o to a deep Katie McCabe comer but she somehow managed to mistime her connection and fluffed her near range effort on 37 minutes.
Arsenal's determination paid off with three minutes of the half remaining.
Caitlin Foord zipped across the byline, leaving Lucy Bronze for dead before angling the perfect goal with a shot past Hampton.
There were no changes by ether side at half-time.
Rytting-Kaneryd got a shot away within a minute, but it was weak and straight at Van Domselaar.
Lotte Wubben-Moy was inches away with a glancing header on 51 minutes as the home side looked to pile on the pressure. Catarina Macario replaced hobbling Ramirez on 62 minutes along with Aggie Beever-Jones, who replaced James.
Arsenal brought on Frida L.Maanum on 66 minutes off went Beth Mead.
On a rare controlled breakaway. Chelsea zipped down the left and the ball was fed to Beever-Jones, but Van Domselaar made a fine save to tip the goal-bound header away for a corner on 67 minutes.
Scotland midfielder Erin Cuthbert entered the fray for Chelsea's Wieke Kaptein on 74 minutes as Bompastor attempted to wrestle midfield control away from Arsenal.
Kim Little went off for Kyra Cooney-Cross while Mariona Caldentey was replaced by Stina Blackstenius.
Arsenal should have equalised when Blackstenius got ahead of Millie Bright at a free-kick and smacked a right footer off the crossbar as Chelsea struggled to cling on to their lead.
Off went Reiten and Rytting Kaneryd, on went Nathalie Bjorn and Ashley Lawrence with a couple of minutes left, as Chelsea went to five at the back.
A brilliant pinch out by Hampton thwarted Russo's blistering volley in the 92nd minute.
Beever-Jones could have got the third for the Blues when she broke free but her effort was save by Van Domselaar.
Teams: Arsenal: Van Domselaar, Fox, Wubben-Moy, Williamson, Caldentey, Mead, Little,McCabe, Walti, Foord, Russo
Subs: Zinsberger, Codina, Catley, Maanum, Kafaji, Kuhl, Blackstenius, Cooney-Cross, Reid
Chelsea: Hampton, Bright, Nusken, Ramirez, James, Reiten, Baltimore, Kaptein, Rytting Kaneryd, Bronze, Buchanan
Subs: Musovic, Cuthbert, Macario, Lawrence, Bjorn, Perisset, Hamano, Jean-Francois, Beever-Jones
Referee: Cheryl Foster
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