Caldentey, Mead Goals Rock Chelsea Title Hopes 2-0

Arsenal dealt a heavy blow to Chelsea‘s Women’s Super League title race. They beat the defending champions 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on January 24, 2026. Beth Mead and Mariona Caldentey scored the goals. This wasn’t just any win. It was Arsenal’s first league victory at Chelsea in eight years. And it leaves Chelsea trailing leaders Manchester City by six points. City still has a game in hand.

Arsenal Breaks the Curse

The match was a big one. Chelsea came in as defending champions, chasing a seventh straight title. They had a good record of 8-3-2. Arsenal was third, just one point back. They needed to make a statement. And they did.

Arsenal dominated the ball early. They had chances. But the first half ended 0-0. After the break, the Gunners found their spark. Beth Mead got the opener in the 55th minute. Alessia Russo jumped on a Chelsea error. She set up Mead, who fired past goalkeeper Hannah Hampton. ESPN’s report stated Mead’s opener came after Russo capitalized on a Chelsea mistake.

Six minutes later, it was two. Mead, moving from the right, found Caldentey unmarked in the box. Caldentey slotted it home. Arsenal thought they had a third. Stina Blackstenius headed one in at 67 minutes. But the flag went up for offside.

Chelsea tried to respond. Erin Cuthbert threatened. Sjoeke Nüsken, a substitute, missed an open goal. Lauren James shot wide in injury time. Arsenal held firm. They managed the clock well.

Title Race Shifts Dramatically

This result reshapes the WSL table. Before kickoff, Manchester City led with 33 points from 12 games. Chelsea had 27 points from 13. Arsenal trailed with 26 points from 13. Now, Arsenal sits just one point behind Chelsea.

Man City could go nine points clear. They play London City Lionesses on Sunday. That would be a huge gap. Chelsea’s pursuit of a seventh successive title is tougher now. This loss came despite Chelsea’s recent seven-game winning streak. They had just beaten Manchester City in a League Cup semi-final midweek. Arsenal, on the other hand, had lost their League Cup game to Manchester United. So, it was a turnaround in fortunes for sure.

Player Reactions and What’s Next

Beth Mead was happy with the performance. She told BBC Sport, “I just thought we figured out where we could hurt them. We did that in the second half. We put our chances away. I thought we could have had more.” Mead loves scoring against Chelsea, apparently. “I love playing for this club, for this badge. Always to get a goal feels like the first time,” she added.

Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze acknowledged her team had chances. “I think at the end we probably created enough chances to at least get one goal back,” she told BBC Sport. But she also said Arsenal was “clinical” in the second half. Bronze called the second goal “a killer.”

Arsenal’s Renee Slegers had warned about Chelsea’s Alyssa Thompson before the match. Thompson did try to spark a response. But Arsenal’s defense held. This victory reversed recent head-to-head trends. Chelsea had dominated the last five WSL meetings. This one felt different. The Guardian’s live coverage highlighted Arsenal’s first win away at Chelsea in eight years.

The WSL title race is wide open. Manchester City has the lead. But Arsenal’s confidence is soaring after this big away win. Chelsea needs to regroup. Fast. There are still 15 rounds left. Every point will be critical for the top three teams.