Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal: Player ratings as Blues knock Gunners out of Women’s FA Cup
From Kingsmeadow – Chelsea booked their place in the FA Cup quarter finals with a 2-0 victory over rivals Arsenal at Kingsmeadow on Sunday.
Goals from Sophie Ingle and Sam Kerr either side of half time saw the Blues to victory, as Jonas Eidevall’s side were again left cursing a selection of missed chances.
Just as they had at the Emirates a month earlier, Arsenal enjoyed the better of the opening 45 and created a multitude of clear cut opportunities, but Chelsea were clinical, taking the lead with their first real sighting of goal.
The Gunners could have opened the scoring inside two minutes as Frida Maanum was superbly picked out by Steph Catley, but the midfielder’s top corner-bound effort was tipped over by Ann-Katrin Berger.
Berger was beaten after a mixup between her and Magdalena Eriksson, but Niamh Charles was on hand to clear Caitlin Foord’s cross off the goal line.
The Gunners‘ best first half opportunity fell to Stina Blackstenius. The Sweden striker did the hard work, shrugging off Eriksson after latching onto Maanum’s flick on, but could only blaze over when one-v-one.
Arsenal were punished for their lack of ruthlessness in the final third as Chelsea took the lead with their first sighting of goal. Lauren James smartly fed Ingle, who drifted inside unmarked and found the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
The visitors were a whisker away from finding an equaliser when Blackstenius was sent in behind, but she couldn’t quite pick out a stretching Maanum at the back post.
Despite being the better side in the first half, Arsenal were fortunate to not go into the break two goals down after Walti gifted the ball to Kerr deep in her own half. Kerr fed Jelana Cankovic, but her effort was superbly palmed away by Manuela Zinsberger.
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Moments later, Katie McCabe stung the palms of Berger following a swift Arsenal counter, before Foord’s follow up was blocked by the Chelsea stopper as the Blues held onto their slender advantage heading into the break.
Chelsea doubled their lead 10 minutes into the second half, Cankovic sliding in Kerr, who coolly dinked the ball over Zinsberger.
Berger pushed away a Kim Little effort in the latter stages of a quieter second half, as Arsenal failed to get on the scoresheet and Chelsea booked their quarter final place.
GK: Ann-Katrin Berger – 8/10 – Was in the thick of the action in the first half; made a super stop inside two minutes to tip a Maanum effort over the bar, palmed away a McCabe strike and blocked Foord from close range.
RB: Eve Perisset – 6/10 – Tested a bit defensively by Foord and Catley raiding forward. Good in possession, ventured forward rarely.
CB: Millie Bright – 7/10 – Won plenty in the air, swept up well and held the backline together.
CB: Magdalena Eriksson – 6/10 – Failed to communicate with Berger as a Foord cross almost crept in, and shrugged off the ball by Blackstenius as Arsenal twice came close in the first half.
LB: Niamh Charles – 6/10 – Made a vital goal line clearance in the first half. Beaten by Foord on a few occasions, and went into the book just before half time after bringing down the Australian winger.
CM: Sophie Ingle – 8/10 – Gave Chelsea the lead after 21 minutes, drifting unmarked to the edge of the box and finding the bottom corner with a pinpoint finish. Tidy in possession, switched play well.
CM: Erin Cuthbert – 7/10 – Buzzing with energy, tidy in possession.
CM: Jelana Cankovic – 8/10 – Drew a good save from Zinsberger late in the first half. Fed Kerr with a perfectly weighted pass for her side’s second. Impressed with some really smart touches.
RW: Lauren James – 7/10 – Instrumental in Chelsea’s opener, waltzing inside and smartly feeding Ingle. Won the ball back in the build up to her side’s second. Flashes of quality throughout – including a wonderful bit of skill to get the better of Catley.
ST: Sam Kerr – 8/10 – Fresh from international duty in Australia, made a vital intervention in her own box in the first half as McCabe prepared to pull the trigger. Coolly added a second with a dinked finish. „Even with jet lag, she’s better than you“.
LW: Guro Reiten – 6/10 – Picked out James with a smart back post cross in the first half. Arguably the quietest of Chelsea’s front three.
SUB: Jess Carter (71′ for Perisset) – 6/10
SUB: Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (84′ for James) – N/A
SUB: Jessie Fleming (84′ for Cankovic) – N/A
GK: Manuela Zinsberger – 6/10 – Made an important, stretching save to keep out Cankovic in the first half. Appeared to get a hand to Ingle’s opener, but couldn’t keep it out. Played Catley into trouble with a weak pass in the build up to Chelsea’s second.
RB: Laura Wienroither – 6/10 – Brought a save from Berger in the second half with a tame effort. Rarely beaten by Reiten, but unable to venture forward a great deal.
CB: Leah Williamson – 6/10 – Helped send Blackstenius in behind with a probing pass in the first half, made an important interception to prevent Kerr getting in behind in the second. Lost track of Kerr between her and Rafaelle for Chelsea’s second.
CB: Rafaelle – 6/10 – Confident bringing the ball out from the back. Question marks over the marking of Kerr between her and Williamson for Chelsea’s second.
LB: Steph Catley – 5/10 – Superbly picked out Maanum in the opening exchanges and looked a real threat going forward. Had a tough time defensively against James; sat off the winger a little bit in the build up to Chelsea’s opener, and was dispossessed by her in the build up to Chelsea’s second.
CM: Lia Walti – 5/10 – Sloppy in possession in the build up to Chelsea’s opener and fortunate to not be punished after gifting the ball to Kerr deep in her own half with an uncharacteristic loose pass. Made an important challenge to halt the marauding James in the second.
CM: Kim Little – 6/10 – Typically tidy in possession but unable to really grab the game by the scruff of the neck.
CM: Frida Maanum – 7/10 – Saw a stinging effort palmed over, and fed McCabe in the build up to another good Arsenal first half chance. Looked one of Arsenal’s most dangerous players.
RW: Katie McCabe – 6/10 – Stung the palms of Berger with a first half effort. Was the closest player to Ingle as the Chelsea midfielder drifted inside unmarked for her side’s opener.
ST: Stina Blackstenius – 6/10 – Blazed a golden opportunity over when one-on-one after doing well to shake off Eriksson.
LW: Caitlin Foord – 7/10 – Switched flanks occasionally, instrumental in Arsenal almost equalising in the first half after spinning Charles and feeding Maanum. A constant threat.
SUB: Victoria Pelova (68′ for Catley) – 6/10
SUB: Kathrine Kuhl (81′ for Blackstenius) – 6/10
SUB: Noelle Maritz (81′ for Wienroither) – 5/10
SUB: Lia Walti (81′ for Wubben-Moy) – 5/10