The boos rang out at the Emirates Stadium as the officials exited the pitch at the final whistle, the result of two disallowed Arsenal goals the second of which would surely have turned a 1-1 draw into a 2-1 home win if it had stood. Alessia Russo’s late equaliser did at least keep alive the Gunners’ slim hopes of remaining in the title race, the gap between them and Chelsea, the league leaders, remaining at five points, but the question has to be asked: why aren’t we providing the referees with the technological support to ensure they can get big decisions right through video assistant referees (VAR)?
Renée Slegers had warned that her team would “have to be ready from the get go” against the defending Women’s Super League champions, but the message had not stuck. It was Chelsea that stepped on to the pitch with an almost unplayable intensity coursing through them and the Gunners could not cope. The Chelsea press was exceptional in the first 20 minutes, with the players alert to every move, ready to stifle the home side from stringing passes together over and over again.
