Alessia Russo's superb volley helped us rescue a point against Chelsea at a packed-out Emirates Stadium.
Alyssa Thompson opened her WSL account in the first half for the Blues before we thought we'd found an equaliser through Stina Blackstenius, only for the goal to be ruled out for an apparent handball.
After dominating the ball in the second half, we finally found an equaliser as substitute Frida Maanum produced a superb cross to pick out Russo, who did the rest to ensure we shared the spoils.
first half
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Our visitors came into the game having not lost a Women's Super League match since December 2023, when we defeated the Blues 4-1 at Emirates Stadium, and started strongly, almost opening the scoring within two minutes.
Slick build-up play saw Lucy Bronze find Johanna Rytting Kaneryd in space down the right, and although the winger's effort beat the onrushing Daphne van Domselaar, it found the base of the post as we cleared our lines.
Six minutes later the visitors took the lead. Alyssa Thompson broke away from Mariona Caldentey before finding Kaneryd down the right. The winger fed the ball back to Thompson on the edge of the box, and the American was able to loft her shot over van Domselaar for her first WSL goal since joining Chelsea in the summer.
We looked to get back into the match and almost found a fortunate equaliser when Beth Mead's inswinging corner deflected off Erin Cuthbert, but goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was in the way to stop an equaliser.
Down the other end, van Domselaar was being kept busy as Catarina Macario's effort stung the palms of our goalkeeper. Her save from Macario's shot looped up and onto the crossbar, before Wieke Kaptein's follow-up header went straight at our Dutch stopper.
An all-action first half continued as we went in search of a leveller. Caitlin Foord did superbly to beat Lucy Bronze down the left, drifting into the box before finding Mariona but the Spaniard couldn't quite the ball under control to get a shot away.
We continued to apply pressure high up the pitch as Alessia Russo dispossessed Millie Bright to find Caldentey just inside the box but her shot went straight at Hampton.
second half
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Our visitors started the second half as they did the first and could've doubled their advantage. A backheel from Bronze on the byline found Kaptein but her two efforts were thwarted by two brilliant blocks from Lotte Wubben-Moy. The ball then fell kindly to Niambh Charles but she found Van Domselaar in the way.
We thought we had found our way back into the contest 52 minutes when Stina Blackstenius rifled her effort into the top corner after Chelsea had failed to clear Beth Mead's corner. But during our celebrations, referee Mel Burgin ruled out the goal and awarded a free-kick to Chelsea, much to the confusion of players and the packed-out Emirates Stadium.
Following the controversy, we made a double substitution with Taylor Hinds and Olivia Smith, with the latter having an immediate impact. The Canadian drifted past Niambh Charles and found Blackstenius, but the Swede couldn't get her effort past Hampton.
Smith continued to cause problems down the right-hand side, proving too much for Charles as her cross found another substitute, Chloe Kelly, at the back post, but the England international couldn't get her shot on target.
But we found our reward late on as substitute Maanum produced an inch-perfect cross to find Russo at the backpost and her volley was too much for Hampton to send our supporters into raptures. We thought we'd found a winner late on as Maanum poked past Hampton but the Norwegian was given offside.
what's next
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It's European action for Renée Slegers' side as we head to Bayern Munich for our third game of the Champions League league phase on Wednesday, November 12. We then return to Barclays Women's Super League action in the north London derby on November 16.
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