Katie McCabe on facing the ire of Arsenal fans in Chelsea's derby win
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 27: Katie McCabe of Chelsea celebrates victory with Lauren James of Chelsea and Lucy Bronze of Chelsea during the Barclays Women's Super League 2026/27 match between Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC at Stamford Bridge on September 27, 2026 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Katie McCabe spoke about a 1-0 win for Chelsea over her former team Arsenal on derby day.
Riding the storm at the Emirates
Alyssa Thompson took the spoils with the only goal of the game on a big day for the Blues.
McCabe knew that her side needed all three points to stay on the coattails of league-leading and title-defending Manchester City, so she was happy with the way the hosts fought to take the triumph.
“For me, it was all about us today and our preparation going into the game. Arsenal pose a lot of threats and have got a lot of quality in and around the box, but it was up to us to ride the storm a little bit in the first half. But I think once we settled and kept the ball, we dominated in periods - and Alyssa took her goal really well.”
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LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 27: Katie McCabe of Chelsea celebrates victory during the Barclays Women's Super League 2026/27 match between Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC at Stamford Bridge on September 27, 2026 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 27: Katie McCabe of Chelsea celebrates victory during the Barclays Women's Super League 2026/27 match between Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC at Stamford Bridge on September 27, 2026 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
A new chapter under Sonia Bompastor
The Ireland international spent ten and a half years on the books in the red half of North London before she decided to switch allegiances to Chelsea in the summer.
Applause from her new fans drowned out the boos from Arsenal fans at the Emirates Stadium, and it is McCabe’s intention to continue focusing on how she can keep growing under Sonia Bompastor with this new challenge.
“When you have been at a club for so long, it's expected - especially when you move to a London rival. I have a lot of respect for the Arsenal fans, we have been through a lot together. But, for me, it was time for a new chapter in my career and coming to Chelsea and the way Sonia wants to play, with the quality we have in the team, I was really excited about it. I'm really happy about it.”