Arsenal were able to repeat their success over us in last year’s final, although this time it was a more solid and committed performance by the Blues than that day at Selhurst Park. There had been little to choose between the sides before the Gunners’ winner was scored by Stina Blackstenius.

In an evenly matched first half, Mayra Ramirez found the back of the Arsenal net but the goal did not stand due to handball in the build-up, while Hannah Hampton was tested twice by good strikes but was up to the challenge.

The second half continued in a similar vein – a tight contest - with Chelsea making the better half-chances until Hampton did well again to keep out Cloe Lacasse when the Arsenal winger was presented with their best opening of normal time.

When ours came, Lauren James was denied by a save close to the end of the 90 minutes while in added time, the large crowd was shocked to see Arsenal’s Frida Maanum collapse and be taken off on a stretcher after extensive medical treatment. We send our best wishes to her, with Arsenal reporting during extra time that she was conscious, talking and in a stable condition.

Space opened up late in extra time and from a counter-attack, Blackstenius found the Chelsea net with four minutes left to play and struck a cruel blow in this London derby, played at Wolves' Molineux Stadium.

It was only just over two weeks ago that these two sides who know each other so well met at Stamford Bridge. On that Friday evening it turned out to be a comfortable win for Chelsea, following on from a sizeable victory for Arsenal on their home turf earlier in the season.

Today’s Blues side showed just one change from the 11 who started the Stamford Bridge victory. That was Mayra Ramirez who having scored against Ajax in the Champions League during the week, retained her place.

Replay screen rescues Gunners

Given how those two league meetings had been more or less decided by half-time, and with there being a trophy at stake today, it was perhaps little surprise that it was a cagey start to the contest.

It took until the eighth minute for the first shot and when it came, it came from Lauren James. She outmanoeuvred Lotte Wubben-Moy before stinging the hands of Manuela Zinsberger.

Chloe Lacasse had the first effort for Arsenal after they had broken through our midfield but shot well wide.

The same could not be said of the belter from Ramirez that looked to have given Chelsea the lead with 20 minutes played; that was until the referee reviewed it on the pitchside screen and spotted a handball by Erin Cuthbert, moments before the Colombian turned and lashed the ball into the bottom corner of the Arsenal net.

At the other end, Hampton pouched a near-post shot from Lacasse and Eve Perisset blocked another from the same player as the Gunners enjoyed a spell of pressure.

It continued with Hampton tipping over a long-range drive from Katie McCabe. From the corner Wubben-Moy was annoyed with herself for not testing the Chelsea goalie again.

Second-half stalemate

Arsenal’s England captain Leah Williamson did not come out for the second half and their reorganised defence could not prevent Melanie Leupolz having the first shot following the start of it. The German fired over.

James then shot into the side-netting from a tight angle after a Johanna Rytting Kaneryd cross, before Leupolz headed wide and Ramirez had an attempt blocked. Chelsea were enjoying the type of spell on top that our opponents had before the interval.

However, the Gunners broke free when Cuthbert was dispossessed and it needed Hampton to make a one-on-one save down to her left to keep out Lacasse. It was a great opportunity not taken by our London rivals.

Before the end of normal time, it was our opponents’ keeper who made an important contribution after James was released on the left and raced towards goal. Opting to go it alone rather than pass, her tight-angle shot flicked off Zinsberger’s leg and went wide.

This cup final was destined for extra time, but not before the hugely concerning moment when Manuum went down and needed lengthy treatment by paramedics before being carried off.

The final blow

Extra time served up end-to-end action. Blackstenius headed wide of the Chelsea goal when very well placed but the offside flag went up anyway, and then she blazed wide with another good chance at the start of the second period.

James was off target with a more difficult chance at the other end, while Caitlin Foord ran out of space during one troubling run at the Chelsea goal and Kadiesha Buchanan blocked her out. When Beth Mead had a clear shot, it was straight at Hampton.

Five minutes remained when our opponents made one of the chances count. Foord found Blackstenius on the half-turn and the Blues missed a moment to clear. This time Hampton could not keep out the shot from the Arsenal top scorer. She was unfortunate to end up on the losing side.

What it means

The quadruple is no longer a possibility in Emma Hayes’s final season in charge and it has been a disappointing afternoon, but there are still three big trophies to play for and full focus will be on those and bouncing back from today’s set-back.

What’s next?

There is now an international break with many of our players in action for their countries. When we return to club action, it will be for another cup game, this time an FA Cup semi-final away against Manchester United. That is on Sunday 14 April with a 2.35pm kick-off.

• Tickets for the home leg of our Champions League semi-final against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge are on general sale

Chelsea Hampton; Perisset, Carter, Buchanan, Charles (c); Cuthbert, Leupolz; Rytting Kaneryd, Nusken (Macario 95), James (Beever-Jones 119); Ramirez (Reiten 76)
Unused subs Berger, Musovic, Lawrence, Ingle, Hamano, Kirby,
Booked James 51, Cuthbert 90+1

Arsenal Zinsberger; Fox, Williamson (Codina h-t), Wubben-Moy, McCabe (Cooney-Cross 105); Little (c), Pelova; Mead (Catley 84), Maanum (Russo 90+13), Lacasse (Foord 72); Blackstenius
Unused subs D'Angelo, Williams, Wienroither, Lia
Scorer Blackstenius 116

Referee Cheryl Foster
Crowd 21,462