Chelsea Women 1-0 Arsenal Women
Man City Men 3-1 Chelsea Men
Chelsea Women achieved an important 1-0 win at the Bridge on Sunday against arch-rivals Arsenal, with Guro Reiten netting a late penalty after Lauren James was tripped in the area.
Encouragingly, there were 34,302 in the stadium – a WSL record for Chelsea. They won't have been impressed, however, by Gunner Katie McCabe, shown a yellow then an immediate red for swearing like a trooper at ref Emily Heaslip.
It gave Arsenal no chance to stage a comeback in a match which still (with stoppage time) had nearly a quarter of an hour to play.
The Blues have bust the world record transfer fee for a women's player by paying a million US dollars (£810,000) for 24-year-old San Diego Wave centre back Naomi Girma. Rated the best defender in the world by Emma Hayes, Girma helped steer her to Olympic gold last summer. She waved to the crowd at the Bridge on Sunday and hopes to make her debut against Aston Villa next weekend.
The idea is that having signed up for nearly five years, she will play alongside Millie Bright, learn the ropes and eventually take over her role – and captain's armband too. "Chelsea have that winning culture, that mentality," she said on making the move. Having witnessed the Blues go seven points clear top of the WSL, she has a point.
Bright said of her new teammate: "I can't wait to play with Naomi; we're really grateful she chose us." While Nathalie Bjorn successfully paired up with Bright against Arsenal, Girma's signing is also partly to compensate for Canadian Kadeisha Buchanan's season-long ACL injury.
Once again, Sonia Bompastor's women triumphed while Enzo Maresca's men faltered at the weekend, with both Chelsea sides facing tough opposition.
Despite a cracking start at the Etihad, with Noni Madueke scoring in the third minute, the unrelentingly high press was eventually Chelsea men's undoing, and they not only lost 3-1 to Manchester City, but also slipped out of the top four in the league.
Hardly title-winning form
The men have won just once in seven games – hardly title-winning form, with West Ham next up on Monday night at the Bridge.
"The good thing is we are focused, and trying to improve game after game," said Enzo Maresca who, as he learnt his trade from the City gaffer Pep Guardiola, has been affectionately nicknamed Diet Pep! Asked to justify Chelsea's press up to (and beyond) the halfway line, away from home, Maresca was defiant.
"You have to be brave in these kinds of games, knowing that if you have to press higher then you leave their best player, which is Erling Haaland, one vs. one against your defender."
Fair to say the Blues won't be adopting such bold tactics against the Irons, with Graham Potter returning to Stamford Bridge determined to prove a point to his old employer.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
