Sky Sports columnist Laura Hunter breaks down the big talking points from the latest Women’s Super League fixtures and explores the key stories at the heart of the women’s game.
Arsenal has been robbed, but the impact is even greater
“We sell out the game,” Emma Hayes said. “I feel like a second-class citizen.” That was the case four years ago, when the former Chelsea manager and current US national team head coach called for technology to be introduced into the women’s game after committing a controversial goal foul in a 3-2 loss to Arsenal in 2021.
Meanwhile, discussions continue to rumble, but with no real progress, a series of controversial decisions in the latest match between WSL powerhouses Arsenal and Chelsea will likely bring things back into the spotlight. On this occasion, it was the Gunners who were denied a valid winning goal, one that would have reduced the gap at the top of the table to two points. Instead, it remains at 5.
So, let’s take a look at its influence once again.
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Replay of Arsenal’s Stina Blackstenius’ goal appears to suggest handball decision may have been wrong
A 22-game season means the title depends on minute moments, as the margins are small. Stina Blackstenius’ rifling into the roof of Chelsea’s net after controlling the ball with her bellybutton rather than her hands, as the staff misjudged, will undoubtedly remain decisive and a stain on the league’s legitimacy.
Don’t forget that this result has implications elsewhere as well. Manchester City narrowly defeated Everton to move into the top spot, but it’s no wonder they feel they should be further ahead. I’m sure all the other contenders feel the same way, as they look to beat Chelsea to win the title for the first time since Arsenal last won it in 2019.
Her reaction was understandable, as Arsenal head coach Renee Sleggers would normally have been booked for admonishing her for a goal that was canceled out on the touchline. After the match, she said, “I was very surprised.” “No player demands that.”
Most decisions on the soccer field can be interpreted by the players’ body language. None of Chelsea’s players tried to help the referee from Blaxstenius’ late attack. Lucy Bronze was left stunned as she admitted her defense wasn’t good enough to prevent the Arsenal forward from getting past Hannah Hampton. Oh, oh. Referee Mel Bergin saw it differently.
To add insult to injury, Frieda Mahnum was ruled out for a close offside, but looked to be on the same level to the naked eye. In this particular example, it was Arsenal who were robbed, but the argument actually concerns the entire league. The petition documents are ready.
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Arsenal women’s head coach Renee Sleggers says she supports the introduction of VAR in the WSL after two controversial refereeing decisions denied Arsenal a win at home against Chelsea.
“If you were to ask me now if I support VAR, I would say yes,” Sleggers added, without saying a word. She is not the first person to come forward with a complaint. Sonia Bompastre is also a technology advocate, citing the need to balance “one of the most beautiful games in the world” with referees held to the same standards. Manchester United manager Mark Skinner has spoken out before.
Emirates’ Sky Sports pundit Jiří Christiansen said: “The people involved today had a huge impact on Arsenal’s ability to win the title this season.” “There needs to be a huge push and acceleration towards adoption of the technology.” Of course, the infrastructure needed to support VAR and who will pay for it are two entirely different things.
The heat is definitely on Sleggers and she succeeded in perhaps the biggest test of national qualification to date. Despite the injustice, she will recover from it. The match followed the pattern suggested by pre-match analysis, with Chelsea starting well and Arsenal equalizing through Alessia Russo’s goal.
Sleggers won’t like this result, but they have to accept it. Perhaps the only consolation is that the game will receive increased attention in favor of the right technology to improve the women’s game as the men progress. This can only be considered a good and necessary thing.
Sky Sports has assured that the league is working with clubs, venues and stakeholders to ensure they are ready for the introduction of VAR at any time. This debacle suggests that that won’t happen anytime soon.
Thompson comes back to life
Despite the controversy, there were some outstanding performances in the Arsenal-Chelsea clash, and to focus solely on the presentation would be to detract from the quality of the performances.
Both scorers shined, with Alyssa Thompson continuing to adapt to the WSL with breathtaking ease. Her goal was a start-and-finish trick that started just short of halfway and ended with a stunning lob over Daphne van Domselaar. I’m sure her momentum will snowball from here.
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Alyssa Thompson tips in for Chelsea to open the scoring
Bompastre said with a wry smile, “I’m glad she can play for Chelsea.” The speed and agility with which she slides the ball are both great assets for teams looking to threaten by breaking down opponents. The way they cut through Arsenal and created an opening for the opening match was very Arsenal-like. Thompson added that aspect.
“She was on fire,” Christiansen raved in his postgame analysis. “She showed speed, power and smart finishing.”
Alyssa Thompson puts in a great performance in the draw with Arsenal
Chelsea equaled their own record for longest unbeaten run in WSL history (33), even though this recent draw is overshadowed by the fact that they probably should have lost. Still, connections are being made as Bompastor continues to shape this aspect closer to her preferred style. Thompson becomes the 19th WSL scorer under her charge.
Sky Sports’ Rachel Corsey said Chelsea had the “best quality” and “greatest depth” of any challenger, an old strength. Despite losing the top spot to Man City, the unique combination of players in the team means they remain on course to defend their crown until the end. Bompastor has the answer to every challenge. A solution to any problem.
Until that happens, they will definitely remain the team to beat.
Read last week’s column
Last week’s column analyzed the relationship between Man United’s Jess Park and Ella Thune and the areas West Ham must work on if they want to avoid relegation.
