Arsenal’s trio of Matildas have helped the London facet defend the Ladies’s League Cup, defeating a Chelsea facet that sorely missed Sam Kerr’s massive recreation goalscoring behavior within the ultimate at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton.
Whereas Kerr was absent with the anterior cruciate ligament harm that has dominated her out of the Olympics, Arsenal initially omitted their Matildas, however Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley had been launched late in regular time and Kyra Cooney-Cross in extra-time.
All made an influence, with the previous pair’s recent legs and the latter’s passing stretching the sport finally decisively.
For 116 minutes the 2 golf equipment had slugged one another to a standstill, with the competition solely pausing when Arsenal’s Frida Maanum collapsed on the pitch and wanted pressing medical assist.
With Maanum fortunately recovering and the sport resumed, penalties had been looming when Catley and Foord linked up as soon as extra on the left flank.
Catley launched Foord, who lower inside in trademark fashion. The ball was labored to Sweden’s Stina Backstenius and, out of the blue, the stalemate was damaged.
Arsenal held on to disclaim Chelsea a doable quadruple of league, FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League — a feat solely as soon as beforehand achieved by Arsenal themselves in 2007.
Submit-match the managers confronted one another, with Chelsea’s Emma Hayes pushing Arsenal’s Jonas Eidevall, later accusing the Swede of “male aggression” on the touchline.
Eidevall denied this and mentioned others “must look within the mirror”.
The disagreement was attributable to Eidevall taking exception to Chelsea utilizing an alternate ball for a fast throw-in late within the recreation after they had insisted pre-match on not utilizing a multi-ball system.
In entrance of a contest ultimate document 21,462, Chelsea thought they’d taken the lead on 21 minutes by means of Mayra Ramirez’s drive however VAR noticed a handball within the build-up.
Arsenal’s Katie McCabe and Cloe Lacasse subsequently stretched Chelsea keeper Hannah Hampton, whereas Arsenal keeper Manuela Zinsberger denied Lauren James.
Because the 90 minutes got here to an finish Maanum, off the ball, fell to the bottom. The Norwegian was shortly handled by paramedics and faraway from the pitch on a stretcher.
Arsenal issued an replace early in extra-time, confirming Maanum was “acutely aware, speaking and in a secure situation” and shall be intently monitored by the membership’s medical group.
AAP
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