The Lionesses captain had a difficult day out but she wasn't alone, as Jonas Eidevall's side endured a third successive game without victory
Just minutes before kick-off at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall told that his team's defending from set pieces needed to improve against a Chelsea side excellent in those situations. When the Gunners conceded the opening goal from a corner just four minutes into what felt a must-win fixture for their title hopes, and perhaps their coach's future, it was a strong sign that it was not going to be the hosts' day – and it wasn't, in a 2-1 defeat.
When a totally unmarked Sandy Baltimore added to Mayra Ramirez's improvised finish to make it 2-0 with 16 minutes played, those in the stands may have feared a mauling. Chelsea looked sharp, dangerous and capable of scoring almost every time they got forward. But Caitlin Foord's strike just before half-time halved the deficit and gave Arsenal a potential launchpad for a comeback.
As the second half progressed, an equaliser seemed more and more likely. While Chelsea's level did drop, the Gunners improved drastically and Stina Blackstenius must have thought she'd levelled things up with five minutes to play, only to see her effort smack the crossbar. It would've been a goal they deserved, too, but in the end the shocking defending of the opening stages proved fatal, leaving Arsenal with just five points from their opening four Women's Super League fixtures and Eidevall's future in doubt.
GOAL rates the Gunners' players from the Emirates Stadium…
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Daphne van Domselaar (6/10):
Made a great save to deny Beever-Jones in the second half. Didn't have much else to do.
Emily Fox (4/10):
Lost Ramirez too easily for the first goal. Lacked communication with Mead especially but also the entire back line.
Leah Williamson (4/10):
Really did not look herself out there today. Made strange decisions and was dominated by Ramirez.
Lotte Wubben-Moy (5/10):
Not as weak a link at the back but still had some poor moments.
Katie McCabe (6/10):
Protected her area of the pitch much better than was being done on the opposite flank, though that bar was low.
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Lia Walti (5/10):
Worked hard and was good when on the ball, but didn't do enough to make Arsenal's possession more meaningful, more often.
Kim Little (5/10):
Similar to Walti, was accurate in possession and battled well, just didn't move the ball quick enough when it was needed.
Mariona Caldentey (4/10):
Struggled to make her mark in a central role.
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Beth Mead (4/10):
Needed to help Fox out more and didn't get involved enough in attack.
Alessia Russo (4/10):
Wasn't in the box enough and wasn't ruthless with the couple of opportunities that did fall to her in there.
Caitlin Foord (7/10):
One of the only players to do herself justice in the first half, one she capped with a great goal.
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Frida Maanum (6/10):
Was a positive introduction and helped Arsenal look more dangerous in attack.
Stina Blackstenius (N/A):
Was so close to an equaliser in the final minutes.
Kyra Cooney-Cross (N/A):
Didn't have a lot of time to make an impact.
Jonas Eidevall (4/10):
A sluggish first-half performance with diabolical defending cost his team the result here. Improvements after half-time were good and his substitutions helped too, with the nature of the defeat certainly valiant in the end.
