LONDON (Reuters) – Chelsea’s Guro Reiten scored an 83rd-minute penalty as her side beat Arsenal 1-0 in front of a crowd of 34,302 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday to remain top of the Women’s Super League (WSL), with Gunners defender Katie McCabe sent off.
Sonia Bompastor’s Blues remain unbeaten in the league and top the standings on 34 points, nine ahead of Manchester City, who beat Aston Villa 4-2 on Saturday, and 10 ahead of third-placed Arsenal.
A win for the Gunners would have seen them cut the gap at the top to four points and the two sides were evenly matched in a tight, scrappy game that finally burst into life late on when Lauren James was upended in the box by Kim Little.
Arsenal’s McCabe was sent off in the wake of that incident, picking up two yellow cards in quick succession, with the second booking for foul and abusive language resulting in a red card for the Ireland international.
Having only entered the fray six minutes previously, Norwegian winger Reiten stepped up and held her nerve, firing the spot kick low to the goalkeeper’s left to score.
With four other WSL games taking place on Sunday, Manchester United can move up to second in the table if they can take a point off Brighton & Hove Albion in the late kick-off.
(Reporting by Philip O’Connor; editing by Clare Fallon)
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