Arsenal claimed the first silverware of the season after a tense 120-minute battle saw them triumph 1-0 over London rivals Chelsea. Stina Blackstenius’ late intervention proved to be enough to ensure the Continental Cup would remain in North London for another season, and end Chelsea’s hopes of a farewell quadruple for the departing Emma Hayes.
Guts. Heart. Courage. Spirit. Characteristics exhibited on the day that were so starkly absent in their previous dance. This was what Stamford Bridge should have been for Arsenal, instead of the debacle a fortnight ago that saw them roll over and get their tummy tickled by Lauren James and Nüsken. The one constant of their season has been their inconsistency. This is a side that limped to a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool on the opening day of the season, then played brilliantly to claim a 2-2 draw at Man United (a game they probably should have won. This is a collective that can go from trouncing Chelsea 4-1 one weekend, then go away to Spurs and toil in front of goal, ultimately losing 1-0. They have been a side that have delighted and frustrated in equal measure. On their day, they can be the best team in the League. And on Easter Sunday, they were.
This was a different outfit to the side of 2 weeks ago, starting with the lineup. Catley and Foord, so poor in that dismal first half, have since been relegated to the bench, with Lacasse and Fox, fresh from their Gold Cup return, re-integrated back into the side, and Katie McCabe now switched over to her more familiar left back role. With Wälti now out long term, Little was forced to drop deeper to pivot with Pelova, and Frida brought in to play the 10 role behind Stina, who was picked to lead the line instead of Russo.
And yet, in the opening stages, it was Chelsea who seized the early initiative. An attempt to pressure Hannah Hampton saw Arsenal lose numbers further back. Hampton clipped the ball into the space and suddenly Rytting Kaneryd had a free run at the Arsenal defence, echoing the similar charges at the backline that they had profited from previously. This time however, Lotte Wubben-Moy was on hand to step in on the edge of the box and end the danger. Manu was then called into action as Arsenal switched off for a quickly taken throw-in, leading to Lauren James to having an opportunity to dance into the box. This time, Manu was able to pat her effort behind, rather than into her own net. It was crucial Arsenal were able to ride out this early onslaught, something they failed to do previously, and gain a foothold in the contest. It looked as though they had managed to do just that, with Pelova becoming more of an influence in the midfield and team starting to put together some good phases of play. That was until the 21st minute, when Chelsea finally found the back of the net.
Arsenal’s previous defeat was characterized by the litany of defensive errors exhibited in the build-up to Chelsea scoring, and this one was no different. One long ball from Hannah Hampton was all it took to generate carnage in the backline. Firstly, Kim Little miscued her header backwards, then Leah’s clearance went nowhere. McCabe had a wild swing at it, Lotte tried to head it clear, before Cuthbert bundled the ball into Ramirez’s path. Arsenal’s defence froze, pleading for a handball callwhich was not forthcoming. Ramirez took advantage of the temporary defensive freeze to spin on the edge of the box and send a pearler of a 25-yard drive into Manu’s bottom corner, sending the Chelsea contingent in the Stan Cullis Stand into ecstasy.
The previous weekend in the WSL had been subjected to numerous refereeing errors, and Arsenal’s game against Aston Villa was no exception, with officials missing the blatant handball by Stina before she scored Arsenal’s third on the night. It appeared Arsenal were suffering a huge reversal of fortune in this instance, were it not for VAR, introduced here for the first time in the Conti Cup. Michael Salisbury at Stockley Park was quick to notice Cuthbert had clearly used her arm to divert the ball to Ramirez in the build-up, and after sending the ref to the monitor, the goal was disallowed, leading to cheers of celebration from the Arsenal fans, as though their side had just scored the opening goal.
VAR in use for the first time in the Continental Cup
From that moment, the momentum began to sway towards Arsenal, spurred on by their vociferous travelling support. They had started the match with a rendition of ‘North London Forever’ and continued to sing throughout, such has become the norm this season. Chelsea may have brought the flags to the match, but Arsenal had brought the greater numbers and the greater noise. And just as the noise from the fans grew, so too did the Arsenal players’ levels. Opportunities began to stack up, albeit opportunities not taken. Mead went for an ambitious chip when Buchanun lost the ball on the edge of her own box, only to see it land on the roof of the net. McCabe went for a trademark piledriver that stung the palms of Hampton, and Wubben-Moy had a volley from the resulting corner which flew wide. In defence, Lotte Wubben-Moy was winning her contest with Ramirez, and Lauren James was struggling to get any joy out of Fox. With Chelsea’s main threats neutralised, Arsenal seized control of the match, and sustained their grip until the half time whistle.
Half-Time saw only one change, and a curious one at that, with Laia Codina brought on for Leah Williamson, a substitution Jonas later clarified to be in response to a potential injury risk the medical team had picked up. A similar half time substitution at West Ham had destabilised Arsenal’s defensive shape, a contributing factor to their defeat. But this time around, Arsenal rode out the change, as Codina settled herself into the backline. And she needed to be alert right from the start, as Chelsea in the second half came out swinging, going more aerial with a succession of set pieces and corners. But Arsenal did not wilt under the pressure, and as Chelsea committed more to the attack, the opportunities on the counter increased. Pelova was relishing the contest, with goal saving blocks in her own box, to spearheading the counter charges at the other end of the pitch. But Arsenal’s lack of a finishing touch and final third decision making continued to let them down. Frida opted to shoot from 30-yards following a Stina flick on, rather than running the ball into the box or assessing her options around her. Pelova robbed Cuthbert on the halfway line to trigger a 3v3 break, but Lacasse could only shoot straight at Hampton instead of drilling across her.
As the game entered the final quarter, the game remained finely poised. Chances became a premium, as both sides realised one mistake now would all but certain end their trophy hopes. Jonas and Emma made changes to try and freshen up their respective attacks. Foord and Caltley came on for Lacasse and Mead, thus moving McCabe onto the right wing and re-instating the ‘Aussie Axis’ on Arsenal’s left. Whilst for Chelsea, Reiten was brought on for Ramirez, who had faded badly from the game after her goal was disallowed, and Lauren James was moved to be the central striker.
And with 5 minutes to go, it almost paid off, as Chelsea put their best move of the half together. Hampton’s long pass was flicked on by Reiten to Lauren James, who fed the ball to Charles. Codina’s attempt to intercept the pass back to Reiten failed, Fox abandoned her post to try to assist Lotte, which allowed Reiten to flick the ball around the corner for Lauren James to burst onto. For the first time since the first 10 minutes, Lauren James had a free run into the box and Arsenal’s defence was badly exposed. Nüsken was free at the far post for what would have been a tap-in, but Lauren James went for it herself, only to see her effort foiled by the boot of Zinsberger. In that moment, the Conti Cup was there for Chelsea, and they had blown it.
Added time soon arrived, but it initially appeared as though it would prove to be just a procession before the matched moved to extra time, with both sides eager not to be the one that made that critical error. Arsenal would of course be keenly aware of the manner they lost this Final in 2020, when Beth England won the tie in injury time. But all of that went out of the window as the game took a tragic turn. With time almost up and with no-one around her, Frida Maanum collapsed on the pitch.
A cloud of silence descended all around Molineux, as both supporters watched on anxiously. Huge credit is due to the medical staff of both teams and those stationed at the stadium for the speed with which they responded to the situation. At this point, trophies, rivalry, they meant nothing. After 7 minutes of care and attention by the medical team, Frida was stretchered off the pitch, to a rousing reception by all fans in the stadium. The full-time whistle blew shortly afterwards, but nobody was focused on that. The concerns of everyone were on the wellbeing of Frida, and Arsenal confirmed after the match that Frida was thankfully in a stable condition and would later travel home with her team-mates.
Told Frida Maanum did not need to go to hospital and travelled back with her Arsenal team-mates, which is a very positive sign. #afc
— Emma Sanders (@em_sandy) March 31, 2024
Extra Time begun with another loud rendition of North London Forever, but this time it felt like it had a greater meaning, not just as a cry of support to the team, but also as a message of support to their stricken star. And it appeared to galvanise the team, as they became the stronger outfit, although still lacked that killer touch in the final third. Russo, on for Frida, had an effort from beyond 30 yards that sailed safely into Hampton’s grasp. McCabe met a wicked Catley delivery with a diving header that just missed the far post. She had been flagged offside, but replays showed she was level. It would have counted. Sensing the shift in momentum, Nüsken, the surprise attacking star last time, was withdrawn for Macário, as Emma Hayes tried to bolster her attack with fresher legs. It would prove to be in vain.
The excursions on this injury-hit squad, having to play across 4 different competitions at such a high level, appeared to be finally taking its toll. In the second half, their legs went, their tank drained, and the players wilted. At the same time, Jonas played his final ace, withdrawing McCabe (who had gone down with cramp) and bringing on Cooney-Cross, providing fresh impetus in the midfield. It worked a treat, as Arsenal powered through on the counter time and time again, doing their utmost to avoid the lottery of penalties. Russo flicked a pass through to send Stina clear, but her composure abandoned her in the crucial moment, and she blazed wildly over. Foord tore down theft flank unopposed, only for Buchanan to block her low cross at the last moment. A beauty of a cross-field pass from Kyra freed Foord again, but Russo could only drive her cutback straight at Hampton. The warning signs were all there for Chelsea, but they had nothing left to deal with it. And with 4 minutes to play, Arsenal finally struck the decisive blow.
Catley sent Foord clear for one final raid down the left. Carter came over to intervene, only for Foord to check inside her and dart into the box. So often this season, the final ball has evaded Foord, but this time she made it count, laying it off to Stina. Cuthbert tried to close her down and make the block, but her luck was out. The ball ricocheted back into Stina’s path, and in that moment, she found the clarity and composure required. She placed the ball into the far corner, and although Hampton managed to get her gloves to it, she could do little to alter its trajectory. The ball was nestled in the bottom corner, the players were delirious, and the residents in the Sir Jack Hayward Stand went nuclear. There was little time left for Chelsea to respond. Emma Hayes threw Aggie Beaver-Jones on in desperation for Lauren James, whose influence on the game had gone by this point, but it was too little, too late. Arsenal sat deep and repelled the Chelsea bombardment as the fans desperately tried to sing them home. They could have even claimed a second when Stina ran free on the counter, only to go down with cramp at the vital moment. But ultimately, it mattered not.
The final whistle ended a tight, tense, nerve-shredder of a final, a final that had seen Arsenal dig deep, fight hard, and battle for 120 minutes against a team that had only two weeks ago swept them aside with such consummate ease. The relief of not just avenging that defeat, but to also claim silverware for a second successive season, boiled over and flowed throughout the two stands Arsenal had taken residence in and the players on the pitch. Voulez-Vous, one the most popular chants of the season, blasted out over the tannoy, as the fans sang and the players danced.
Then came the trophy ceremony, as Kim and Leah held the Continental Cup aloft to raucous celebrations, followed by Katie McCabe proceeding to drink out of it once again. And lastly, the players stood together, before their loud, passionate, supporters, as the players held their arms and scarves aloft, and joined them in one final rendition of ‘North London Forever’, a mutual thank you from both sides, for the support given, not just on the day, but for the entire season, and for the success the players have brought back to the club for yet another season.
This Conti Cup triumph has saved Arsenal’s season. Now, they need to secure 3rd place and European Qualification for next season. If they can get that resolved, Jonas must then do a full autopsy on this season, to establish the consistency that has been absent far too many times this season and ensure that winning the Conti Cup is the baseline, and not the limit, of what this Arsenal side achieves in a season. Much like the Final, fan sentiment towards Jonas remains balanced on a knife edge. Cup triumphs will buy him time, but this must translate into a greater challenge for the WSL title next season. Otherwise, simply winning the Conti Cup again may not be enough.
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