Nuesken’s 94th-minute strike not enough as Gunners advance 3-2 on aggregate; Bompastor sent off in dramatic Stamford Bridge finale
LONDON – Arsenal held off a furious late fightback from Chelsea to secure their place in the Women’s Champions League semi-finals, advancing 3-2 on aggregate despite a 1-0 defeat in Wednesday’s quarter-final second leg at Stamford Bridge.
Knowing they needed to overturn the deficit, Chelsea – who had manager Sonia Bompastor sent off in the dying minutes – started at a blistering pace. However, Arsenal quickly disrupted their rhythm, and the home side failed to register a single shot on target in the first half as the visitors controlled the tempo.
Arsenal grew into the game after the break, but the real drama unfolded late on as Chelsea threw everything forward in a desperate bid to salvage the tie.
In the 80th minute, Arsenal substitute Stina Blackstenius headed home from a cross by her Swedish compatriot Smilla Holmberg, but the goal was disallowed following a VAR review that ruled the striker marginally offside in the build-up.
Chelsea pushed relentlessly for an equaliser. Defender Veerle Buurman struck the post with a late shot, and midfielder Sjoeke Nuesken was denied by a brilliant save from Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar, who tipped her header onto the inside of the far post before the ball bounced clear.
Arsenal’s Beth Mead then smacked a stoppage-time shot off the far post. But Nuesken finally broke through in the 94th minute, stealing in ahead of defender Lotte Wubben-Moy to sweep home a first-time shot, setting up a nerve-jangling finale.
As the game reached its climax, Arsenal’s Katie McCabe escaped punishment for pulling Alyssa Thompson’s hair during a counter-attack. The incident sparked an angry reaction from the Chelsea bench, leading to Bompastor receiving two yellow cards for her protests and being sent from the dugout.
Bayern Munich Also Through
In the evening’s earlier quarter-final, Bayern Munich scored twice late on to secure a 2-1 win on the night and a 5-3 aggregate victory over Manchester United, reaching the semi-finals for the first time since 2021.
United had levelled the tie at 3-3 when Melvine Malard scored in the 11th minute, and the match looked destined for extra time. But Glodis Viggosdottir headed Bayern back in front in the 81st minute, and Linda Dallmann sealed the win by firing home three minutes later.
Semi-Final Line-Up
Arsenal will face either Olympique Lyonnais or VfL Wolfsburg in the semi-finals. Bayern Munich are set to take on Barcelona or Real Madrid, with Barcelona leading 6-2 on aggregate and Wolfsburg holding a slim 1-0 advantage heading into Thursday’s second leg.
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