The biggest home attendance in Chelsea Women history witnessed us race into a 2-0 lead before even quarter of the game was played, extended to a three-goal advantage by half-time.

Emma Hayes was able to watch the sort of reaction she anticipated to an earlier defeat by Arsenal – and indeed a home loss to Manchester City in our last home game, that one held at Kingsmeadow.

The opener tonight at the Bridge from the irrepressible James, her 14th goal of the season, had a helping hand, quite literally, from Arsenal goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger whose initially save failed to prevent the ball finding the net.

Nusken slotted her seventh of a productive first Chelsea season and quickly followed it with her eighth, this one owing much to Johanna Rytting Kaneryd’s shot that deflected in off the German’s back.

In the second half, Zinsberger atoned partially for her earlier error with a series of saves before the Gunners' late consolation, scored when a Kim Little shot found its way to the net via a touch off Chelsea substitute Catarina Macario. The defence had largely done well when tested.

With our biggest defeat of the season having come at the Emirates Stadium, Hayes had called for a much-improved Chelsea performance compared with that December day. She certainly got one!

As well as a chance to redress that 4-1 result, today’s game mattered in the title race with Arsenal at kick-off just three points behind the Blues and Manchester City, who were tied at the top of the table.

James had recovered from illness sufficiently to be named in a starting line-up that showed six changes from the FA Cup quarter-final win at Everton. She was asked to lead the attack. Kadeisha Buchanan’s return from international duty allowed Nusken to move from defence into her more-favoured midfield role, and how effective that switch proved!

However, before battle could commence there was an unexpected delay – a problem concerning the clashing socks Arsenal had arrived with. By the time it was rectified, a 7pm kick-off had become a 7.30pm one and the Gunners were wearing Chelsea away kit socks. It was shades of a men’s game at Coventry in 1997 when the Blues had to borrow the home team’s shirts.

Today’s extended wait for the first whistle did allow even more time for the lively atmosphere to build.

Double-quick start

The Blues fans had an early James drive to get them further excited and although that one flew well over the crossbar, Chelsea continued to attack brightly. Arsenal reacted with a shot from Little pushed wide by Hannah Hampton.

Arsenal goalie Zinsberger was far less successful when she was next called into action.

Chelsea’s press did very well to win the ball in midfield and Erin Cuthbert found James in plenty of space. The England international engaged the Gunners’ defence before skilfully making room to shoot and when she did, it looked to all inside the packed Stamford Bridge that Zinsberger had kept the effort out. But the ball fell back to the turf and there was nothing she could do to prevent it dropping into her net.

The Blues were ahead with just quarter-of-an-hour played and five minutes later, it was 2-0. The dream start!

Cuthbert was involved much further up the pitch this time – going for goal herself when the ball was played back her way but before we could see where her low shot would end up, Nusken, on the half-turn, diverted it inside the far post.

Another for Nusken

Hayes' side continued to score at regular intervals in the first half and for the third goal and her second on the night, Nusken looked almost embarrassed to be the scorer after Rytting Kaneryd’s powerful shot deflected off her on its way to the net.

Chelsea were finding so much space when going forward and James from distance was not far away from doubling her tally with a lob. Guro Reiten skimmed the top of the net with a free-kick won by James.

There had been much to admire in the Blues’ first-half showing.

Kept at bay

It was a measure of Arsenal dissatisfaction that their manager Jonas Eidevall made a triple substitution for the start of the second half. Chelsea continued to look committed and hungry however, and kept the upper hand.

Rytting Kaneryd cut through the Gunners’ rearguard at speed but was denied by a save and then James, played through by an excellently weighted pass from Niamh Charles, tried to score by slipping the ball close to Zinsberger’s legs, but hit one of them.

Another shot by Rytting Kaneryd, after good set-up play by Reiten, was parried as a fourth goal proved elusive.

Inside the final 10 minutes, Cat Macario came on for her home debut although her impact was in contrast to her two previous games as the visitors scored the last goal of the night. When a corner was cleared, it was fired back by Little and hit Macario on its way past Hampton.

Nevertheless, a big marker has been put down in this year’s title race and in this, the most-played fixture in WSL history, we had extended our best unbeaten run of home results against the Gunners to five games - four wins and one draw.

- Chelsea Women will be back at the Bridge in the Champions League - click to buy tickets

What it means

The Blues stay at the top of the WSL table, with a three-point advantage over Man City ahead of their match at Brighton on Sunday. We now have six points more than Arsenal.

What’s next?

The Champions League returns and Chelsea travel to Amsterdam for the first leg of our quarter-final against Ajax. Kick-off on Tuesday is 5.45pm UK time.

Chelsea Hampton; Perisset, Carter, Buchanan, Charles (c) (Lawrence 70); Cuthbert, Leupolz; Rytting Kaneryd, Nusken, Reiten; James (Macario 83)
Unused subs Musovic, Ingle, Cankovic, Beever-Jones, Hamano, Kirby
Scorers James 15, Nusken 21, 32
Booked Hampton 87

Arsenal Zinsberger; McCabe, Williamson, Wubben-Moy, Catley (Fox h-t); Pelova (Maanum h-t), Walti (Cooney-Cross 72); Mead, Little (c), Foord (Lacasse 56); Blackstenius (Russo h-t)
Unused subs D’Angelo, Bouhaddi, Codina, Reid
Scorer Macario o.g. 86
Booked McCabe 42, Lacasse 67

Referee Rebecca Welch