We reached the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-finals for the second season in a row, and the ninth time in our history, with a 3-2 win on aggregate over Chelsea on Wednesday in the quarter-final second leg.

FIRST HALF

Chelsea looked dangerous early on, knowing that they had a two-goal deficit to reduce, as a Lauren James cross was headed behind for a corner and an Ellie Carpenter delivery came in from the right for Sjoeke Nusken, but she curled just wide of the bottom right with her first-time effort.

We had our first chance at the other end as Olivia Smith flicked it through to Alessia Russo, and she went for goal low and with power, but it was too central to trouble Hannah Hampton.

Katie McCabe was then afforded time and space to carry the ball forward and she lined one up from distance, firing just over the bar.

Caitlin Foord was next to have a go, going past Carpenter and getting a shot away, but again it was straight at Hampton.

The home side came close to making a breakthrough in the 17th minute, Lucy Bronze managing to thread a pass through to Alyssa Thompson in a dangerous area, but the latter hit it just wide of the bottom left.

Just beyond the half-hour mark, Thompson played a one-two with Sam Kerr and worked her way into the 18-yard box before smashing the ball over the bar.

We were forced into a change on the brink of half-time with Steph Catley making way for Taylor Hinds.

SECOND LEG

Russo smashed one high and wide at the start of the second half but it was again Chelsea who came closest when, in the 53rd minute, they played a long ball over the top to Kerr. She controlled it well, held up play and took aim, but Daphne van Domselaar produced a terrific save, stretching to push the ball over the bar.

James then sent the ball onto the roof of the net from the following passage of play.

We made two changes in the 69th minute, Beth Mead and Smilla Holmberg coming on for Smith and Emily Fox.

Russo did really will to shift the ball into a dangerous area before shooting wide of the bottom left in the 73rd minute as we continued to look good for our two-goal lead on aggregate.

Blackstenius then headed over after a solo run and cross from Mead in our pursuit of a goal that would surely kill the tie while Chelsea, desparate for a way back into it, had Sandy Baltimore drive the ball across the face of goal and out for a goal-kick.

Then, with 10 minutes left on the clock, Holmberg’s cross was headed into the bottom left by Blackstenius for 1-0, but the goal was ruled out by VAR for offside before Chelsea went up the other end and just missed a chance to respond through Nusken.

Russo carried us forward and tried her luck but Hampton got both hands behind it to catch the ball as the tension inside Stamford Bridge became palpable.

We made two more changes with six minutes to go as Laia Codina and Frida Maanum came on for Mariona and Blackstenius.

Into the 85th minute and Chelsea stung the palms of Van Domselaar before missing the follow up. Van Domselaar was the hero again moments later, tipping a header onto the post before Lotte Wubben-Moy cleared the danger. It just wouldn’t go in for Chelsea!

Mead then hit the post in the dying embers in front of the Arsenal supporters who were in full voice throughout the night and, after a late consolation from Nusken, we booked our place in the semis.

WHAT’S NEXT

Adobe Women’s FA Cup football returns to Mangata Developments Stadium in Borehamwood, where we host Brighton & Hove Albion in Sunday’s quarter-final at 1pm. Tickets for this fixture are open to general sale! Many of our players will then represent their countries in the April international break.

As for the UWCL semi-finals, fixture details will be confirmed in due course. We will face either Wolfsburg or Lyon depending on the outcome from Thursday’s match between those two sides.

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