The chant ‘London is Blue’ rang out around a sold-out Meadow Park after Ji So-yun scored the second in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Arsenal. It is hard to argue with that claim. Chelsea, back-to-back title winners, are now looking to make it back-to-back FA Cups.
The Blues beat the Gunners 3-0 in last year’s delayed final back in December and will return to Wembley again in May after Sunday’s semi-final victory. Guro Reiten had set the Blues on their way with a spectacular opener in the 50th minute. Once Ji made it 2-0, there was no way back for Arsenal.
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This competition was arguably their best chance of silverware this season. Chelsea are one point clear at the top of the Women’s Super League table and, while they have a slightly tougher run-in, they don’t look like dropping points.
Chelsea booked an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City after beating Arsenal
Guro Reiten finally broke the deadlock for the Blues as she curled the ball into the top corner
Midfielder Ji So-yun later doubled the Blues’ lead as she smashed the ball in off the bar
It means Arsenal are facing a third successive season without a trophy.
Since beating their London rivals 3-2 on the opening day of the season, they are without a goal against Chelsea in their last three fixtures. That goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger won Arsenal’s player of the match spoke volumes.
But Arsenal let this game get away from them. They were the better side in the first half, pressing high as Chelsea struggled to get out of their own half.
Emma Hayes even described the Blues’ first 20 minutes as ‘horrific’. They were far from their best, but Arsenal failed to take advantage. ‘It took us a really long time to get going but once we did, I thought we made it difficult for Arsenal. The goal came at the right time and we dominated them,’ Hayes said.
‘Once we got the second [goal] the game felt easier. We felt confident and more comfortable but it wasn’t always like that and you have to earn that. Our superiority in the second half is due to the character of the group. This team, all the time, keep finding another level. It’s not easy to keep winning, it really isn’t. But we’ve shown again another side to ourselves today.’
Despite having the better of the first half, Arsenal could not pick a killer pass and clear cut chances were few and far between.
‘If we want to be a winning team we can’t be dependent on scoring the first goal,’ Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall said.
‘I’m very disappointed with the match today but I’m also very motivated in doing everything here to finish off the season as strongly as possible.’
Arsenal’s chance came when Beth Mead (centre) fired wide in the box just after half time
Vivianne Miedema came closest to opening the scoring in the first half when she let fly from range but her effort sailed just over the bar.
The hosts were then nearly the architects of their own downfall as Leah Williamson’s loose pass fell to the feet of Beth England. The forward was too slow to react and WIlliamson got back well to block.
Arsenal’s best chance to go in front came shortly after half-time when Beth Mead fired wide from inside the box. The winger should have tested Chelsea goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger and the Gunners were made to pay for not taking that chance when Reiten produced the game’s first bit of magic.
The forward picked up the ball on the left wing and was allowed to run, reaching the edge of the box before curling a brilliant shot over Zinsberger and into the top right corner.
The winger had worked the ball really well and should really have tested the Blues goalkeeper
Chelsea almost had a second when England found space for a shot inside the box but Zinsberger got down well to make the save. However, the goalkeeper could do nothing to prevent Ji making it 2-0 on the hour mark. The midfielder picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box, side-stepped Lia Walti and fired into the top right corner.
Zinsberger was forced into two more saves to prevent Reiten and Ingle from making it 3-0 before England came close at the end with a shot that flew just over the bar.
Chelsea will face Manchester City at Wembley on May 15, the first FA Cup final between the two teams. The Blues have beaten City three times this season but lost the Conti Cup final 3-1 in February.
‘I’m never preoccupied with revenge type things,’ Hayes said. ‘I think we’re in a really good space, I think we’ve got players coming back into the group. I think we’re a team in form but so are Man City.’