“We need to beat Chelsea really, it’s as simple as that,” says Arsenal Women’s skipper, Kim Little | OneFootball

Sunday afternoon, our Arsenal Women make the short trip to Stamford Bridge to take on London and league title rivals Chelsea.

Do our girls need inspiration for this fixture? I don’t think they do. Much has already been said about how crucial this game is to Arsenal’s league campaign—it could be game on or game over as far as the WSL title race is concerned.

But if they need some motivation, their skipper Kim Little and midfielder Lia Walti’s comments in The Guardian could provide the perfect boost for our Gunner women.

Little knows our Gunners need to beat Chelsea, and Walti adds that while every WSL game is important, the Chelsea versus Arsenal fixture holds special meaning when you’re a Gunner Women’s star. The Switzerland skipper says they hate losing to the Blues, and a win over the London rivals is something they fondly look forward to.

“We need to beat Chelsea really, it’s as simple as that,” said Little.

Walti added, “Every game in this league is important but the Chelsea one has a different meaning. We hate to lose against Chelsea, and it probably feels better to win against Chelsea than against most other teams. We’ve never had 0-0 games; it is always quite open. There have been games where we clearly dominated and others where we’ve been dominated—it is a bit of an unknown game in that sense.”

Lia Walti (Creator Suzanne Lycett 2024)

For the last few seasons, Arsenal have yearned to get their hands on the WSL title but haven’t managed it because of Chelsea. Walti says, “Chelsea have won the league for five years in a row now, and it’s annoying.

“It’s not something we want to let them do. It seems boring, even though the seasons themselves haven’t been boring, and it has sometimes been very tight.”

With a win today, Arsenal could find themselves only 4 points behind the Blues. Surely, with the form they’re in—unbeaten since October—they should go all the way. However, Arsenal might need a favor from two other WSL sides to deny the Blues all three points in their remaining fixtures.

Either way, let’s hope Lia Walti and Kim Little continue to impress as they have so far this season. Under Coach Renee Slegers and alongside Frida Maanum, they have certainly been a hit in Arsenal Women’s engine room.

Are you ready for a win today Gooners?!

COYGW!!

Michelle M

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