Arsenal fans are putting the woeful loss down to an utterly embarrassing wardrobe error - the match was forced to kick off 30 minutes later than scheduled due to a clash of their white socks. Jonas Eidevall’s Gunners had no choice but to wear Chelsea’s away socks, shamefully bought from the stadium’s megastore, with the Nike logo taped over because of Arsenal’s sponsorship by Adidas. This all transpired from an odd rule stating that Chelsea must wear white socks at Stamford Bridge. Would it be rude to say Chelsea blew Arsenal’s socks off? Maybe it’s still too soon for some. Others might go as far to say it was part of Emma Hayes’ distraction tactics and if so, it certainly worked. The Reds were visibly rattled, going 3-0 down in the first half as a result of another Lauren James masterclass, with her 13th goal in 14 games this season, and two scrappy yet crucial goals from Sjoeke Nusken. The victory comes even after an unlucky string of injuries which, to an outsider, might have looked like a final fatal blow in determining the outcome of Hayes' final season with Chelsea.
Manchester City seems to be the only side able to keep up with Chelsea this season, sitting comfortably in second place and currently on a 10-match winning run in the league. Gareth Taylor, the City manager, has just extended his contract until 2027 and so will be looking to prove himself further by securing the WSL title. Their star striker Khadija Shaw has been key to their success with 16 league goals in 15 games, having netted another against Brighton. City fans are hoping she will make the difference and pull the rug out from under Chelsea’s feet; it’s starting to look like only the Sky Blues are in strong contention to meddle with what could be Chelsea’s fifth title in a row.
Everyone’s certainly watching eagle-eyed to see if Hayes’ last season with the Blues will make or break her lasting legacy at the club. Who will come out on top in the end?
