There’s no denying the history that binds Arsenal and Chelsea, but sometimes a new chapter in the rivalry is what keeps things fresh and relevant. Arsenal secured a place in the UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinal on Wednesday despite a late surge from Chelsea in what was a chaotic and overly physical game.
In the final minutes of the quarterfinal, Stamford Bridge exploded with excitement. The Blues needed to overturn a two-goal deficit, and a stoppage-time goal by Sjoeke Nüsken cranked up the chaos but sparked late drama instead. Winger Alyssa Thompson had her hair pulled by Katie McCabe in the final minutes in what should have been a red card as things got tense, but in the end, it was Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor who was sent off instead as Chelsea won 1-0 but did not get that second goal they needed to force extra time.
Here’s what to know:
Arsenal return to UWCL semifinals
There will no doubt be further discussion and potential consequences over the final moments of the match. But it’s Arsenal who now await the winner of Wolfsburg and OL Lyonnes in the remaining quarterfinal matches.
The Gunners were effective in absorbing any pressure, and even though they looked to have sealed Chelsea’s fate in the 80th minute with a strike by Stina Blackstenius, a VAR check confirmed the goal offside. Still, the performance was enough to ensure a return to the Champions League semifinals.
Head coach Renee Slegers took a reflective tone in the postgame, noting the players’ efforts and the opportunity to keep defending their title.
“We are in a really good place, like the way we’re working, the way the group are taking on things, how they are together, how they try to maximize everything, every single day,” Slegers said after the game.
“They so much deserve it because they invest so much. We have players ready to play, to start to finish. We’re doing everything together. So the group is in a fantastic place. I’m pleased to work for Arsenal and with this group of players. So, I think that’s been great that we are in this place, but of course, we want to be in this place consistently.”
A night of frustration for the Blues
Having entered the night trailing from the first leg, Chelsea knew they had to take advantage of the game in front of them, but fell short.
The Blues managed the first half, forcing goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar into action, and Alyssa Thompson managed a good look on goal. Sam Kerr’s effort was ruled offside, and Chelsea kept getting denied by the post before Sjoeke Nüsken’s late-game goal. With a surge in fleeting hope, Chelsea pushed to level the game, and Arsenal defender tried to slow down Alyssa Thompson but got a fistful of hair instead.
Thompson could be heard on the broadcast shouting “she pulled my hair” toward the sideline referee, as McCabe attempted to soothe things over after not getting carded initially, while Thompson was visibly frustrated by the unchecked incident. In an effort to back the player, Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor argued with officials for a foul check, but it fell on deaf ears, and she was carded twice and sent off.
McCabe appeared to eventually be cautioned with a yellow. Though typically, hair-pulling is often deemed a violent offense and issued a red card. Bompastor took offense to the lack of a red card and brought evidence of the poor officiating into her postgame interview.
“Disappointed about the result and the fact we couldn’t qualify for the semifinal, it was one of the big objectives in our season. So it’s really frustrating. And, yeah, it’s difficult to say that, but I think overall, in both games, I think I’m really proud of the players, I think they put a really great performance. But at this level, we need to understand, we need to be clinical when we create the chances. And I think we had enough chances to win the game tonight, to just bounce back from last week. And yet, that’s the reality. We couldn’t score more than one. And
“If we speak about the last 10 minutes. Of course, it’s emotional because you want to win the game, you want to try as much as you can to just go back in the game and try to qualify. And yeah, I was really upset. I’m better now, but because again, one more time, I had one of my players, Alyssa Thompson, her hair was pulled, and I don’t understand why the VAR cannot check that,” said Bompastor.
“And it was clear. I brought the video with me, and I have the video. It’s really frustrating, because I don’t want to be like, but if you look at the video, is clear. I think, like, at this level, I am the one who ends the game with a red card? Well, McCabe should be the player who just don’t stay on the pitch. And I think that’s clear. So I think if, like, at this level, you don’t see that with the VAR, I’m not talking about the referee. And yeah, people can smile, but it’s really difficult at this level to just take both games and see all these controversial decisions. At the end of the day, well done Arsenal. But I think, like, the refereeing is not good enough. And I think that’s not normal,” she said.
McCabe apologizes
Whether it was fear to ensure the result didn’t slip away, or frustration boiling over, McCabe and Thompson became the focal point of the match in an exchange that saw the Arsenal defender grab the winger’s hair. The officials missed the incident in real time.
The moment ultimately overshadows the result, and Arsenal will now await their semifinal opponent and the possibility that McCabe is retroactively issued discipline. No matter the outcome, the incident will undoubtedly fuel the rivalry in future meetings between the two domestic titans.
Following the game, instead of postgame locker room celebrations, McCabe took to social media and spoke about the incident.
“I just want to clarify that I was reaching for the shirt, I wouldn’t ever want to pull someone’s hair. Full respect to Thompson,” McCabe wrote on her Instagram stories.
