Lucy Bronze collapsed to her knees in frustration as her ball towards Niamh Charles went long, out for a throw-in to Arsenal.
The two remaining minutes of normal time eked away. The dream of a Champions League semi-final slowly slipped from view.
Or so we thought.
The fourth official signalled a minimum of five minutes of stoppage time. Clearly, there was strong emphasis on ‘minimum’ as the supposedly ‘five minutes’ felt like a third lot of 45 and clocked at roughly nine.
A goal, a red card, a red card that wasn’t, you rarely get that in a full 90 minutes, but in such a short amount of time, the essence of a fiery tactile battle was encapsulated by five nine extra minutes of action.
Chelsea were on the attack and chasing, needing to overturn the 3-1 defeat they had suffered from the away first-leg.
Alas, they fell short, but not for a lack of trying. In the end, their 1-0 victory on the night was not enough and the former goalscoring juggernaut that was the Blues is slowly grinding to a halt.
Overcoming a two-deficit is never easy. No matter how straightforward Chelsea made it last year, brushing aside Manchester City 3-0 at home to waltz into the semi-final.
That game was over by halftime. Mayra Ramirez netted the third goal just before the break and the Blues never looked back.
This time round, it was quite the opposite. The first half was merely the amuse-bouche, only for us to be made to wait a further 45 minutes for the main course.
But Chelsea had their chances and they spurned them.
“For me, that’s why we didn’t qualify tonight,” manager Sonia Bompastor said.
“In possession of the ball, we were in control of the game. We created enough opportunities. The only difference was that we didn’t score.
“We scored one at the end but I think if you analyse the performance, we created three big chances in the first half, big enough for us to be more clinical at this level. It’s probably been the story of our season.”
And it’s true, Chelsea did get one at the death. Finally, a Sjoeke Nusken header found its way past the impenetrable Daphne van Domselaar. But it was far too little too late.
They had attacking talent on the pitch. Lauren James is one of England’s brightest sparks and no doubt will be for years to come; Alyssa Thompson has been Chelsea’s attacking mainstay throughout the season; and Sam Kerr will go down as one of Chelsea’s all-time greatest strikers.
So the personnel are there. But yet something is just isn’t quite right.
Not one fan, coach, nor pundit could argue that Chelsea did not create enough to win by the margin they required.
It was like some sort of sick, sadistic pain ritual as the Blues teased the posts with alarming regularity.
4th minute, Nusken fluffs her lines; 16th minute, Thompson pulls it past the post; 32nd minute, Thompson again, this time blasts over; 53rd minute, Kerr’s effort is plucked from the top corner; 75th minute, Kerr again, she volleys into the keeper’s arms; 85th minute, Wieke Kaptein hits the post from close range; 87th minute, Nusken’s header is tipped onto the post.
Needless to go on, really. But for none of these to be put away had to be seen to be believed.
Fans will argue they were unfortunate. Not least with the fact that it took them 94 minutes to score, but also with the referee.
Alyssa Thompson left the pitch in tears after having her hair pulled by Katie McCabe late into the match – a challenge that saw Sonia Bompastor incensed with anger, seeing herself sent off by referee Frida Karlund for her protests.
“For me, it is clearly a red card. She’s pulling Alyssa Thompson’s hair.
“I’m the one who gets a red card but I think the Arsenal player [McCabe] should get the red card.
“What is VAR doing in these games? If we have VAR, why are we not checking these situations? It’s not good enough.”
There’s no doubt that the incident happened the way it was perceived – the images are not pretty viewing for McCabe. Even Renee Slegers herself admitted to it, albeit erring on the side that it was accidental, whereas Bompastor was adamant that “the intention was clear”.
When informed that Thompson was in tears after the incident, Slegers responded, “I didn’t know that and I’m sorry to hear that.
“I don’t think it was deliberate. I think she tried to pull Alyssa Thompson’s shirt. Katie is very competitive but she always plays fair. She would never do anything deliberately bad or with bad intentions.”
However, regardless, Chelsea didn’t fail to qualify because of an incorrect refereeing decision in the 94th minute. They lost because they weren’t clinical enough. Sam Kerr only touched the ball four times in the first half and wasted chances in the second.
And as they look forward to facing a Tottenham side, who face similar problems, in the FA Cup on Sunday, something needs to change. And fast.
Paul Edwards
Paul, often known as Eddie, is the Editor-in-Chief for the Sports Gazette, as well as a keen football enthusiast. As a sports freak, he can often be found ranting about how his lookalike, Lewis Hall, should be in the England squad or how Rehan Ahmed is criminally overrated. Paul publishes his projects on Substack (@pauledwards123) as well as writing for Hampton and Richmond Borough FC. His passion for sport is palpable, and he is excited for the opportunity to write about the ups and downs of high-level sport. Contact him via [email protected].
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