It wasn’t just an off day for Alyssa Thompson, who repeatedly found herself in promising positions in front of goal - Chelsea simply couldn’t make their chances count. Hosting Arsenal, the Blues had an opportunity to close the gap on league leaders Manchester City, but defeat instead left their title hopes facing a steeper climb.
Arsenal, meanwhile, arrived at Kingsmeadow without a road win over Chelsea since 2018, making the result all the more surprising. The opening half was cagey, with Chelsea struggling to convert possession into clear looks in the final third, while Arsenal proved more clinical when their chances arrived.
Thompson, who has four league goals this season, entered the match firmly on Arsenal head coach Renée Slegers’ radar as one of Chelsea’s primary attacking threats.
“She’s a really, really good player,” Slegers said ahead of the match. “She’s made a great impact for Chelsea and really shown herself in the WSL, so we’ll have to look out for her.”
Despite a lively start, Thompson was ultimately limited to only a handful of chances in a match that may have turned on a single decisive touch in the box.