**Arsenal**beat **Chelsea**away from home for the first time in seven years with a 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.
A controversial draw in back in November added spice to an already mouth-watering fixture. The Gunners began hungry yet could not replicate the threat Sonia Bompastor's side had on the break. However, neither team could break the deadlock in the first half.
The second half proved much different as Arsenal overwhelmed their city rivals out the gates. Beth Mead putting the North Londoners ahead before assisting Mariona Caldentey to double their lead.
It puts Renee Slegers' side on 26 points - one behind Chelsea, who fall further behind first place Manchester City in the race for the WSL title.
The Cityzens travel to Bromley to take on London City Lionesses on Sunday, with the potential to go nine points clear the top.
Story of the Match
The hosts only made a single change from their League Cup victory against title rivals City, as Guro Reiten earned her first WSL start since November 1st. For the red half, however, there were five alterations from the defeat to Manchester United through Emily Fox, Steph Catley, Kim Little, Beth Mead and Stina Blackstenius.
Arsenal began with the same attacking momentum they left the Emirates with during the sides' last encounter. Katie McCabe's whipped effort being the best of their early work, though it was aimed straight at Hannah Hampton's gloves.
Chelsea soon battled their way back after being camped in their own half for the opening ten. They came close following a corner through Erin Cuthbert's low drive into the crowded penalty area, which looked to be on target until a vital intervention from her national teammate Little.
Set pieces continued to produce the most promise for the Blues. Sam Kerr got on the end of a Cuthbert free-kick that was too deep to direct goalwards.
Minutes later, another corner Naomi Girma notched a sneaky header at the back post that was blocked off the line by Lotte Wubben-Moy. Girma then turned provider with a lush cross for Wieke Kaptein, who nodded wide.
By the half hour point, the tide had turned once more. Arsenal began winning the midfield duels again, unpicking the breaks and forcing the champions into stringent box defending. Unlike their West London counterparts, they struggled to translate their possession into dangerous opportunities.
Despite relying largely on counterattacks, Chelsea ended the half with some pot shots from range. First via Cuthbert, then Lucy Bronze's bullet of a half volley that was a comfortable catch for Anneke Borbe.
The second half saw the Gunners come out firing again, but with increased determination to test Hampton and the Chelsea back three.
Alessia Russo, in particular, stepped up, taking a wicked shot from outside the area to shake things up. Moments later, the England international summoned her creative abilities to help find the first goal of the day.
In front of an eager away end, Russo carried the ball down Chelsea's spine to teed up Beth Mead, who had space to pick her spot and put the visitors ahead.
Alyssa Thompson nearly mustered an immediate equaliser, - again on the counter - but it would, in fact, go from bad to worse for the Blues.
After intricate build-up on the right-hand side, Mead threaded a ball along the 18-yard line to an unmarked Mariona Caldentey. The Spaniard took a touch, giving her more breathing room to stroke it into the back of the net.
Had it not been for the shoulder blade of Blackstenius being offside, the Swedish striker would have made it three soon afterwards. The compact and hardy Chelsea defensive unit of the first half was somehow nowhere to be seen after the interval.
Changes in Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Lauren James and Aggie Beever-Jones all allowed for more impetus up front. James put it on a plate with a delicate chipped cross for the box-crashing Cuthbert to meet, but the Scot could only head a glorious opportunity over the bar.
Bompastor watched on as the clock ticked towards more dropped points, with Slegers' team able to deal with their attempts to get back into it.
Another goal was closer to coming at the other end. Blackstenius latched onto Caitlin Foord's pass in behind to give Hampton one final save to make in a startling second period.
Her tenth goal against Chelsea was matched with wonderful vision for Caldentey's goal.
Taking up a more free-roaming role in the first half, she became more focused on her flank in the second and became a thorn in Chelsea's right side. Emily Fox also