Arsenal defeated Chelsea 1-0 after extra time, thanks to a goal from Stina Blackstenius, in a game marred by the collapse of Frida Maanum.

This victory signifies another successful season for the Gunners, bringing home a trophy to share with the fans and likely securing qualification for the first round of the Champions League qualifiers.

There was talk of Jonas Eidevall being under pressure before the game, and he and the team responded in the best possible way with a win. It must be said, it wasn’t the most entertaining game, with both teams working hard to deny the opposition time and space, preventing them from creating chances. There’s no doubt the clubs know each other well, making it a tactical battle from start to finish.

Interestingly, Chelsea were preparing to substitute their goalkeeper, Berger, for Hampton just as Arsenal‘s winning goal occurred. Both teams were prepared for a battle, and a battle it indeed was, even on the touchline.

I must say, I found the media’s attempt to create a story by exaggerating the rivalry narrative between Emma Hayes and Eidevall prior to the game quite ridiculous. This only served to stir up an incident from nothing during and after the game.

I genuinely wonder what would have happened had Chelsea scored using the multi-ball system, which was not allowed for that game. Is there a provision in the Laws of the Game for such a scenario? Would VAR have disallowed the goal? Could Arsenal have lodged an official protest? As we know, in England, there are no regulations regarding referees’ technical errors and reserves to put on the match sheet, unlike in UEFA and FIFA tournaments.

Regarding the actions and post-game comments from the managers, there’s not much to say; the FA will do their job if there’s something to be addressed.

VAR was available for the first time in the Conti Cup final and correctly called the disallowed Chelsea goal, a decision that might not have been made with traditional refereeing as the Cuthbert handball was not easy to spot. As usual, Cheryl Foster let a lot of things go and could have issued more yellow cards to both sides. However, I don’t think she negatively influenced the final result of the game.

As for the starting XI, Eidevall‘s decision to drop Catley and Foord on the left side due to their recent performances was a bold move, yet they came on as substitutes and did an excellent job. Russo wasn’t fit enough to start, so Blackstenius was chosen to partner with Maanum upfront. This has been a proven, successful partnership, though it was obviously affected by Russo’s arrival.

Pelova, playing in the double pivot alongside Little, was awarded the player of the match, while Fox was superb at right-back. Codina, who came on at halftime for Williamson, was outstanding, and Wubben-Moy has been consistently performing at the highest level for a few months now.

Attention now turns to the international break, and Arsenal‘s next league game will be against Bristol at home. Originally scheduled for Sunday, 31 March, the match will now be played on Sunday, 14 April at 6.45 pm at Meadow Park.

Arsenal need seven points from four games to guarantee Champions League qualification.