The Canadian defender - who joined Chelsea from French side Lyon in the summer of 2022 - started in defence and impressed over the 90 minutes, helping the Blues beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium.

A derby victory maintains Sonia Bompastor's side's winning run in the Women's Super League, with three wins from a possible three thus far, and with 10 goals scored and only one conceded.

'It's nice to reach 50 games,' Buchanan reflected after Saturday's win in north London. 'It feels like it has went by really fast, but I'm really happy that we got the win on my 50th appearance for the club.

'I still remember my first match against Liverpool; we lost and I gave away a penalty. I feel like I have grown within the league since then.

'Compared to what I was used to at Lyon, it is more fast paced. There's a lot more competitiveness here in England, and I've definitely developed as a player during my time here because of that.'

With a half-century of Chelsea appearances now behind her, what does Buchanan hope the next 50 appearances holds?

'Lots of joy!' the defender answered. 'There are going to be ups and downs, but I know you just have to ride those out with the team.

'For me, it's all about waking up and wanting to play for this club. I love when I'm excited to put my cleats on. For the most part, I just want to experience a lot of joy and to have fun playing with this team.'

Buchanan's 50th appearance came during her second start of the new WSL season and the Canadian international believes this has been one of the best introductions to a campaign during her time at Chelsea.

'I feel like I'm off to a good start,' she added. 'It's probably one of my best starts and I have to give credit to the staff for that because they are instilling confidence in me and the other players.

'When you feel like you have that connection with the coach, it just allows you to be yourself and to not be afraid, even if you make a mistake you know they have still got your back. It's a good feeling.'