Chelsea’s 1-0 victory over Arsenal on Sunday extended their Women’s Super League unbeaten run to 12 matches and left them two points behind leaders Manchester City. More than the result, it offered evidence that Sonia Bompastor’s side have rediscovered the resilience that went missing when their six-year hold on the WSL title ended last season.
Doubt had followed Chelsea into this campaign. Bompastor had led them to an unbeaten domestic treble in her first season in charge, but the WSL crown slipped away as City overtook them at the top. Many believed Arsenal would be the main challengers this season after a strong summer of recruitment, and Chelsea began tamely with a 1-1 draw at home to Aston Villa despite a dominant performance. The familiar problems were present: a lack of ruthlessness in front of goal and a mistake at the back that gifted Villa an opportunity.
Since then, Chelsea have turned dominant performances into results. Three wins in a row culminated in a well-rounded display against Arsenal, who are seventh and seven points behind City. Bompastor said her players were prepared to “mentally fight” and able to “adjust” to Arsenal’s pressure in a way they perhaps did not last season. The performance was a defensive masterclass: Chelsea kept a third successive clean sheet and have now gone 315 minutes without conceding.
Bompastor added: “In this league, you have so many different opponents and you have to be able to adjust and do something different.” She said she wants a group that stays together in high and low moments, and that Chelsea knew they would have spells when they were not in control and prepared for them.
The win was settled by Alyssa Thompson after Keira Walsh’s strike was parried into her path. Walsh was a standout performer, and her new partnership with 20-year-old Lexi Potter has allowed her to get further up the pitch and play with more freedom. Bompastor described the 29-year-old Walsh as “a boss on the pitch” when she reaches those levels, saying it gives the team “better foundations.”
Thompson has consistently delivered up front, while the arrival of summer signing Melvine Malard from Manchester United has given Chelsea an outlet. The French striker missed their opening two matches with a minor injury but scored on her debut against Birmingham City and caused havoc against Arsenal. “She’s massive for us. She puts in work off the ball and sets off the press,” Walsh said. “Her awareness of people around her and her ability… She’s an incredible striker and she will be very good for us.”
That press, led by Malard, has moved higher up and teams have struggled to break through, while full-back Ellie Carpenter continues to overlap dangerously. Katie McCabe, who switched from Arsenal to Chelsea in the summer, has brought leadership and bite – an aggression that was lacking at times last season.
The victory could be the catalyst Chelsea needed to push on and put pressure on Manchester City, who face Arsenal next in the WSL on Sunday at 16:30 BST. Thompson called the win “amazing for team morale,” while Bompastor admitted Chelsea are “a different team from last season.” Arsenal, by contrast, have one victory in their first four WSL games and have scored just twice. Walsh added: “We’ve got both sides to our game and we showed that tonight in spells. Everyone was fighting for each other. Every first and second ball was ours.”
Whether Chelsea can regain the WSL title remains an open question, but they look like a team who believe they should be champions and are willing to work for it. It would be foolish to rule them out.