In front of a bumper crowd in a match held at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park, Sam Kerr continued her impressive record for cup-final scoring when she converted from a Guro Reiten cross. However a goal from Stina Blackstenius, a penalty scored by Kim Little and a Niamh Charles own goal left the Blues trailing 3-1 at the break.

Emma Hayes switched players and formations, seeking a way back into the contest, but in a second-half with fewer chances than the first, Arsenal held firm.

We had beaten Spurs and West Ham to reach this stage of the League Cup competition but a third London opponent proved harder to overcome.

The Blues remain in the hunt for three other trophies but in the chase for this first piece of silverware available this season, it was shades of last year’s final in this competition when Kerr again scored first but Manchester City recovered to win 3-1.

Quick lead let slip

The quest to win a trophy we lifted in 2020 and 2021 could not have started any better with Kerr scoring inside the first two minutes, heading in off the underside of the crossbar from close range.

Erin Cuthbert had played the ball wide to Reiten who sent it over with a lovely cross to the far post where Kerr was closing in. Another Reiten cross not long after threatened to find Kerr again but this time the Arsenal defence got to it first.

Hayes had named an unchanged side from the one that knocked the Gunners out of the FA Cup last weekend and we looked sharp in the very early stages, although Millie Bright twice had to be alert at the near post to cut out Arsenal attacks.

However our opponents did find the target with 16 minutes played. There was a touch of misfortune about the goal when a pass deflected off Magda Eriksson and fell kindly for Stina Blackstenius to finish through the legs of Bright, with Ann-Katrin Berger wrong-footed.

Midway though the half, Berger had to face a penalty when Sophie Ingle, a scorer against Arsenal last weekend, caught Katie McCabe as she sidestepped the Chelsea midfielder. Little sent Berger the wrong way with her kick which found the bottom corner. There was pain to add to conceding the goal for the Chelsea goalkeeper who needed treatment but was able to continue.

As well as having the lead, Arsenal were now on top in the game but they were almost architects of their own downfall when a bad pass backwards set Kerr off running towards goal, but Rafaelle Souza tackled well.

The medical team were then on to give attention to Berger again after a collision with McCabe who was also hurt and received a yellow card for her part in the incident.

Arsenal had the ball in the net again through Blackstenius but the striker was flagged offside.

Before half-time, Reiten skinned Noelle Maritz and crossed again for Kerr who this time headed wide. Despite that Chelsea chance, Hayes was not happy with what she was watching, and brought on defender Kadeisha Buchanan for midfielder Jelena Cankovic. The formation changed to a back three.

The switch did not prevent Arsenal from making it 3-1 with virtually the last action of the first half. A corner came over from the right into the crowd in front of goal and Charles had the misfortune to divert it with her head into her own goal.

Scoreless second

There was another substitution at half-time with Melanie Leupolz brought on for Charles and there was an early scare when Berger’s pass hit the boot of Blackstenius. Fortunately the Arsenal striker could not bring it under control.

Chelsea were trying to find the runs of Kerr in behind the north Londoners’ backline but Souza again defended that threat well.

From another Kerr advance, James, who had moved forward to play alongside the Australian since the formation change, was set up for a shot but she struck it too high. She would do similar later in the game.

Leupolz did send the ball on target from outside the penalty area but Manuela Zinsberger dived and saved. With 20 minutes remaining, time was running out for a recovery. Leupolz again forced a save from the Gunners keeper in the final minutes.

Although Chelsea spent plenty of time in the Arsenal half in the latter stages of the game, there was no way through in what had been a tighter second 45 minutes than the first.

What's next?

There is no time to dwell on this defeat as it is back to league action as soon as Wednesday when we host Brighton at Kingsmeadow.

Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Berger; Perisset, Bright, Eriksson (c) (Fleming 77) Charles (Leupolz h-t); Ingle (Rytting Kaneryd 63); James, Cankovic (Buchanan 39), Cuthbert, Reiten; Kerr.

Unused subs: Musovic, Abdullina, Carter, Mjelde.

Scorer: Kerr 2

Booked Leupolz 51, James 83

Arsenal (4-3-3): Zinsberger; Maritz (Wienroither 70), Williamson, Souza, Catley; Maanum, Little (c), Walti; McCabe (Pelova 57), Blackstenius (Beattie 87), Foord.

Unused subs: Marckese, Hurtig, Kuhl, Wubben-Moy.

Scorers: Blackstenius 16, Little pen 24, Charles o.g. 45+5

Booked: McCabe 32, Foord 90+4

Referee: Kirsty Dowle

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