Alessia Russo’s excellent strike implies that Arsenal take a 3-1 benefit into their Ladies’s Champions League quarter-final second leg towards Chelsea.
A surprising Lauren James end had halved the deficit for Chelsea, who additionally noticed two targets dominated out, however the reigning champions put in too sturdy a efficiency on the Emirates.
Chelsea made a lightning-quick begin, twice catching Arsenal out down the precise as each Alyssa Thompson and Lauren James struck the within of the far put up after slack defending from the hosts within the opening eight minutes.
However Arsenal scored towards the run of play after a Katie McCabe free-kick was glanced previous a helpless Hannah Hampton by Stina Blackstenius within the twenty second minute.
Chloe Kelly then doubled their lead 10 minutes later, latching onto Beth Mead’s lay-off to bend a stunning shot into the bottom-right nook from exterior the field.
Shortly earlier than the break, Veerle Buurnam rose above Laia Codina to nod the ball in from shut vary earlier than the Spaniard went down beneath little strain, and the purpose was dominated out.
James pulled Chelsea again into the sport within the 66th minute. Arsenal didn’t clear their traces from a nook, and the 24-year-old chipped a superb long-range effort over the group and Anneke Borbe.
Russo then drilled a pinpoint strike into the bottom-left nook to revive Arsenal’s lead 10 minutes later earlier than Kadeisha Buchanan bundled the ball over the road in stoppage time, although it was dominated out for a foul on Borbe.
VICTORY AT HOME!! pic.twitter.com/wWU3P1nUM0
— Arsenal Ladies (@ArsenalWFC) March 24, 2026
Information Debrief: A well-known story for Chelsea
Chelsea went winless of their two Ladies’s Tremendous League conferences with Arsenal this season (D1 L1), however they might not cease that run on Tuesday.
That is the primary time they’ve performed three or extra video games towards the identical facet in a marketing campaign with out profitable at the least one match since 2018-19 (D2 L2 versus Manchester Metropolis).
It was not for lack of attempting, although. Chelsea completed with extra pictures (14 to 12) and a better anticipated targets (xG) tally (1.47 xG to 1.43), whereas either side completed with six makes an attempt on track.
However it was Russo who dealt the doubtless greatest blow. She has now scored eight targets within the Champions League this season, setting the outright report for probably the most targets by an English participant in a single version of the competitors.
