Sometimes the outcome is the least important thing. A wall of thunderous red erupted behind the goal and bench players and staff scattered to the sideline as Arsenal scored late in extra time to retain their Continental League Cup title with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea. But what really mattered was the news that midfielder Frida Maanum was conscious and talking to medical staff.
With the game at 0-0, it was extremely worrying when Maanum collapsed off the ball, appearing unresponsive and requiring oxygen. The stadium, which held 21,462 fans in the final, held its breath for nearly 10 minutes as he received treatment. He was carried off the field on a stretcher, news came that he was in stable condition and Arsenal surged forward, scoring Stina Blackstenius’ winner in the 116th minute.
Relating to: Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea: Blackstenius strikes extra-time winner in Continental Cup final – live
Jonas Eidevall made a change in the team that defeated Aston Villa 3-1 last weekend and put Blackstenius in the lead instead of Alessia Russo, who could not attend training during the week due to a problem.
Meanwhile, Emma Hayes made wholesale changes to the team that drew 1-1 with Ajax at Stamford Bridge to ensure they progress to the Champions League semi-finals, with six players returning to the starting eleven. Hannah Hampton was in goal and Niamh Charles, Melanie Leupolz, Sjoeke Nüsken, Lauren James and Johanna Rytting-Kaneryd returned.
There is no love lost between the two sides, with Arsenal claiming an impressive 3-1 victory over their London rivals in last season’s final, giving Eidevall his first trophy with Arsenal. The spoils of this season were shared across the league; Arsenal claimed a 4-1 win at the Emirates Stadium in December, while Chelsea produced a similarly dominant 3-1 win in the second leg at Stamford Bridge. . Although Arsenal achieved this historic success in 2007, Chelsea’s progress towards the quadruple was heralded as a first, which brought with it some disappointments.
As Hayes warned ahead of the Molineux encounter, both league matches this season are “over the first half”; Arsenal took the lead 3-1 in the 38th minute, and Chelsea took the lead 3-0 in the 23rd minute. “You’d better come from the beginning,” he said. “If you don’t, it can make your job a little harder.”
In Wolverhampton the story was different; Both sides were alert to the risk of being caught and the game was getting beyond them early on. Arsenal had chances in the first half with six shots to Chelsea’s two, but possession was shared at 50% apiece.
The Blues had the first chance to go ahead when James posed a constant threat by firing a comfortable shot past goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger. They sent the ball to the net in the 22nd minute, Mayra Ramírez’s hard shot from 25 yards out escaped Zinsberger, who perhaps should have done better, but the VAR check correctly ruled out the goal, Erin Cuthbert pushed the ball. He sends the ball into the path of the Colombian striker with his forearm.
Arsenal were not unlucky at the time, Cloé Lacasse shooting high and wide from range before the disallowed effort and Arsenal began to push the Blues towards the end of the first half; Mead tried to catch Hampton off her line but she put the ball into the net, Lacasse shot towards the goalkeeper from a tight angle on the left, Maanum blocked in the box and Katie McCabe forced the ball. Save remotely from Hampton.
There was a change in Arsenal before the international break that concerned England Women’s Coach Sarina Wiegman; Leah Williamson left the game and Laia Codina entered the game but the game remained in the balance in the second half.
Ramírez’s shot from a corner was blocked and Lacasse found himself one-on-one with Hampton minutes later, but the Chelsea goalkeeper came out to meet him and make a fly-on save in transition.
The best chance of the half fell to the ebullient James, who ran free down the left with five minutes left in normal time, but his effort skimmed agonizingly wide of the far post.
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In the fifth minute of seven-minute extra time, Maanum fell, slumped over the ball and fell to his side. There was a long break while the medical team worked on the player, who appeared unresponsive. Maanum was eventually taken into the tunnel on a stretcher.
Shortly after the restart, as the whistle blew for extra time, the teams were given the opportunity to regroup after a traumatic 10 minutes, with reports from Arsenal that Maanum was conscious, talking and in a stable condition.
There was little to separate the sides in extra time, with Blackstenius going closest, collecting a ball played over the top a minute into the second half but shining with only Hampton to beat.
Arsenal finally made the breakthrough moments after substitute Alessia Russo shot straight at Hampton. Caitlin Foord, also a substitute, survived challenges down the left and then dropped back for Blackstenius, who turned and fired.
The red wall behind the goal exploded and the party started in style at the final whistle.