Arsenal Survive Late Chelsea Scare to Reach Women’s Champions League Semi-Final

Published

6 months ago

April 2, 2026

Arsenal reach the Women’s Champions League semi-finals after surviving a late Chelsea fightback to progress 3-2 on aggregate

Defending champions Arsenal held firm under heavy pressure to secure a place in the Women’s Champions League semi-finals despite a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Also read: Liverpool Boost as Alexander Isak Returns to Training Ahead of PSG Clash

The Gunners advanced 3-2 on aggregate, thanks to their advantage from the first leg, as Chelsea’s long wait for European glory continues despite their domestic dominance.

Arsenal, who ended an 18-year wait for an English winner of the competition last season, showed resilience once again to keep their title defence alive.

Chelsea, coached by Sonia Bompastor, pushed hard in a frantic closing stage but could not find the breakthrough they needed earlier in the tie.

Stina Blackstenius thought she had sealed the contest for Arsenal when she headed home ten minutes from time, but the effort was ruled out after a VAR review for offside.

That decision sparked Chelsea into life, with Lauren James forcing a strong save from Daphne van Domselaar, before Veerle Buurman hit the rebound against the post.

Moments later, Van Domselaar produced another crucial save, tipping Sjoeke Nüsken’s header onto the woodwork to keep Arsenal ahead on aggregate.

At the other end, Beth Mead also struck the post as Arsenal threatened on the counter-attack during Chelsea’s late surge.

Chelsea finally scored in the fourth minute of added time when Nüsken finished neatly at the near post from a Sam Kerr cross, but it proved too late to change the outcome.

The match ended amid further drama after Bompastor was shown a red card following a tense touchline incident.

Arsenal will now face either Lyon or Wolfsburg in the semi-finals, with Lyon holding a slim advantage heading into the second leg.

Also read: Liverpool Boost as Alexander Isak Returns to Training Ahead of PSG Clash

Elsewhere, Bayern Munich progressed after a 5-3 aggregate win over Manchester United and are set to face the winner of Barcelona’s tie against Real Madrid.

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Why Are Football Fans Expecting Trophy Haul from Man City’s 114 Breaches?

Published

12 hours ago

September 30, 2026

Mariam Balogun

By Tai Emeka Obasi,

It is exceedingly terrible for clubs operating in a league as supremely elite as the English Premier League, EPL, to fraudulently cheat themselves to massive success.

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Rules are rules, and supposedly responsible club managements should comply with them in administering a game termed the beautiful game.

Manchester City is currently in the eye of the storm for all the wrong reasons.

A whopping 115 breaches were brought against the club, with reports now indicating that an independent commission found City guilty of 114 of them.

The club, however, maintains that the Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements still to be completed and subject to strict confidentiality.

Manchester City chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, has appealed to the fans to remain calm and faithful, insisting that the club will continue to defend its position and pursue the available legal process.

According to reports, Manchester City is expected to appeal the verdict. The sanctions have not yet been announced, and the possible consequences could include a heavy fine, points deduction, stripping of titles or even relegation.

From the available reporting, however, there is no basis for football fans to start celebrating the prospect of receiving Manchester City’s trophies.

Even if titles were eventually stripped, the relevant period under investigation is 2009 to 2018.

During that period, Manchester City won three Premier League titles, in 2011/12, 2013/14 and 2017/18, as well as three League Cups, in 2013/14, 2015/16 and 2017/18.

That immediately puts a different complexion on the matter.

For instance, Manchester United finished runners-up to City in the 2011/12 and 2017/18 Premier League seasons, while Liverpool finished second in 2013/14.

But whether those titles would actually be reassigned to the runners-up is another matter entirely.

There is no automatic rule that says a stripped title simply moves to the team that finished second. Any such outcome would depend on the eventual sanction imposed by the relevant authorities.

The same applies to Arsenal and the League Cup. Arsenal were beaten by City in the 2018 final, but that does not mean Arsenal would automatically inherit the trophy if City were sanctioned.

Expert opinion has suggested that the eventual punishment could include a substantial financial penalty and a huge points deduction, potentially severe enough to threaten City with relegation.

But until the sanction is formally determined, nobody can say with certainty what punishment Manchester City will receive.

For Gunners fans, therefore, we should lower our expectations from City’s debacle. Even if Manchester City are eventually found guilty after the appeal process and even if they are relegated, Arsenal will not stroll to this season’s title.

Our last match against Brighton and Hove Albion is a huge warning that our squad is not as complete as it is generally acclaimed to be.