Adversity creates champions. It’s relatively easy to get through the good times, but when the going gets tough and things go bad, how teams and athletes respond is what sets them apart from the rest.
Emma Hayes’s injury-hit Chelsea side showed a perfect example of that resilience when they defeated Arsenal in front of raucous fans at Stamford Bridge. This was a display that oozed every ounce of experience they had gained throughout their dominant seasons, drawing on all their know-how to dismantle a full-strength opposition that had blown them away in December.
Relating to: Chelsea lose to Arsenal and make significant move in WSL title race
Yes, Chelsea have greater resources at their disposal than many other clubs in the WSL, but even the deepest squad will struggle with injuries of late. Center forward options have decreased after Sam Kerr and Mia Fishel were left out of the squad for a long time due to their anterior cruciate ligament. [ACL] injuries several weeks apart. Club record signing Mayra Ramírez came on in the league cup semi-final against Manchester City and has not been seen since as Catarina Macário made her slow return from her own anterior cruciate ligament injury. This is not to mention the lack of defensive cover with Millie Bright still out and Nathalie Björn coming off a knockout in the previous match.
It was an issue that required Hayes to shuffle the deck once again, demonstrating his creativity in putting the pieces of the Chelsea puzzle back together. This isn’t the first time he’s had to do this during his long tenure at the club and it won’t be the last.
As Chelsea took to the field against a resurgent Arsenal side, Germany international Sjoeke Nüsken was sure to raise an eyebrow or two when she lined up as a centre-forward alongside Lauren James. Traditionally seen in midfield and occasionally at right-back, he has operated as a centre-back in the Blues’ last two games. But his goalscoring qualities were clear when he played further forward this season and Hayes clearly saw this as an answer to his attacking problems in this situation.
Nüsken showed impressive spatial awareness and connected with those around him, scoring his seventh and eighth goals of the season with his brace. She scored the first goal (Chelsea’s second of the night) by reading Erin Cuthbert’s rapid shot and sending it past the statuesque Manuela Zinsberger into Arsenal’s goal. The latter had a small fortune, which inadvertently sidetracked Johanna Rytting Kaneryd’s attempt to return home. But you make your own luck and this was a moment that showed how everything fell into place for Chelsea and Hayes under the lights of Stamford Bridge.
But Nüsken was part of the Chelsea machine that kicked into high gear and cruised to victory from the first whistle against their London rivals. Their manager had issued a rallying cry before the game, repeating his expectations for his players over and over again. “Do I expect my team to come here tomorrow?” said. “They’re better! Otherwise, they will give an account of themselves the next day because these are the standards they live by. My job is just to nudge the bear a little.”
It definitely poked the bear. Chelsea outperformed Arsenal in every aspect, first on every possession, stronger in every duel and calmer in every area of the pitch. Whether it’s Hannah Hampton’s commanding presence between the sticks, the intensity of Erin Cuthbert and Melanie Leupolz in midfield or the acceleration of Rytting Kaneryd, who has had Arsenal’s Steph Catley’s number from the start.
Not to mention Lauren James. Countless articles have been written about the 22-year-old striker, who reaches new heights in every match he plays. Stamford Bridge is certainly his stage, the platform where he has been at his best this season, showing exactly how he can tear apart the opposition almost single-handedly.
He scored his eighth goal in four matches at the Bridge this season, scoring his 13th goal in the league. This was a flashy example of pure technique and power as Zinsberger worked in space to deliver the shot with sufficient power, despite using two gloves. He tormented the Arsenal players throughout the match by passing them on numerous occasions and finally managed to get a well-deserved standing ovation in the 83rd minute.
It was a comfortable victory for Chelsea to take a three-point lead over Manchester City ahead of title rivals who face Brighton on Sunday. As Hayes has often mentioned, end-of-season business is what his side know how to do. They may be pushed all the way this time around, but the grim feeling of a Chelsea team chasing another WSL title is never too far away.