- Arsenal are fourth in the WSL on 35 points from 16 games, two points behind third-placed Chelsea but with two games in hand.
- Arsenal and Chelsea have traded wins and draws across their last five meetings in all competitions, with the last one ending 2-0 to Arsenal on 24 January 2026. Three of those meetings were decided by a single goal or less.
- Arsenal are in excellent form, blitzing OH Leuven 7-1 on aggregate in the last round of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, while Chelsea have shown enough in recent months to suggest they can compete on the big stage.
Arsenal can take first-leg advantage in UWCL quarter-final
Two of the WSL’s most consistent rivals meet on Tuesday in what should be a gripping first-leg clash at the Emirates as the winner over two legs will reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League 2025-2026.
Renée Slegers has moulded the Gunners into a side that can win any type of game, with a highly structured 4-2-3-1 that morphs into a 4-3-3 when they have the ball.
The Dutch coach has taken her team to UWCL glory and built a squad that can press instantly, overloading the wings and getting late runners onto the ball. It is an all-action approach that could be chaotic in wet conditions at the Emirates on Tuesday, given the damp London pitch and the showers forecast for kick-off.
Blues have the depth and grit to get through
Sonia Bompastor has instilled a similar pressing style in her Blues side, although Chelsea are more possession-based and like to keep the tempo up to try to control the game.
The visitors have the squad depth to cope with UWCL competition, an experienced goalkeeper in Hannah Hampton who has the most clean sheets in the WSL this season, while Keira Walsh and Kadeisha Buchanan provide leadership and a steel in midfield and defence that can withstand the Gunners’ onslaught.
Kerolin has been in good goalscoring form in recent weeks, netting five in February, so Chelsea have a consistent goalscoring threat up top, which Arsenal can rarely claim. Stina Blackstenius is a big-game specialist and grabbed the winner when the teams met in the 2025 UWCL final.
Wet and wild contest likely
Arsenal are a narrow 21/20 odds-on favourites with Chelsea at 211/100 and the draw 14/5, which seems about right given this is a home game for the UWCL holders.
Slegers will be tempted to make a few changes with Beth Mead recently returned from injury and Sam Kerr's fitness a talking point, while Bompastor may also rotate her side with a view to getting fresh legs into the return leg at Stamford Bridge.
Backing Over 2.5 goals at 3/4 is the main selection here as both teams will be eager to stake a first-leg claim and there should be some chaotic moments on a damp pitch, but the double chance market looks like the place to be for the second selection.
Take Chelsea to get through with some resolve to the second leg as the Blues will take heart from their League Cup triumph in March 2026 and the knowledge that they can hold their own against anyone in the division. But Arsenal have the home advantage, some fresh firepower with Mead’s return, a hot streak in Europe and more depth in attack, which should be enough to claim a slender advantage in this first-leg showdown.
