Chelsea got the better of Arsenal and put four past the defending WSL champions with ease in front of 4,000 fans at the sold out Meadow Park. 

This is the first match that the Gunners lose at home in all competitions and Chelsea remain the only side to beat Arsenal this WSL campaign. 

With today's results, Arsenal and Manchester City are levelled in points, but the reigning champions now drop to second having one less goal than City. 

Chelsea closed their four point margin with Arsenal and sit firmly in third, now only one point away from the top two, with a game in hand over both. 

  • Story of the match

Emma Hayes' Blue and White Army came out ready to conquer and gave no room for their hosts to execute their game plan. 

Joe Montemurro played four central midfielders expecting to build play, but Chelsea did an excellent job to close down every chance of attack and gave no solutions to a helpless Arsenal.

Twenty minutes in, Chelsea found themselves up 0-3. Montemurro's choice of a back three was exploited faster than anyone could have expected. 

While Sam Kerr opening her WSL goal tally was certainly a highlight, all the attention is on Chelsea's third goal: Sophie Ingle's stunning 20 yard out volley that beautifully dipped over Manuela Zinsberger.

Bethany England opened the scoring in the tenth minute with a perfectly placed curling ball to the far post, smoothly hitting the side net and well out of Zinsberger's reach. 

Guro Reiten's cross to the back post was met by Kerr who's powerful header was effortlessly buried from a closed angle and with a very tall Louise Quinn in front of her. 

Although Arsenal did at times move efficiently past the middle of the pitch, there was no real danger from any of their attacks. With the exception of Katie McCabe's low close range shot that forced Ann-Katrin Berger to make a save with her foot. 

Where, every attack from Chelsea was dangerous and they could have potentially put more than four past Zinsberger.

In the first half, Arsenal were barely in possession and gave away easy balls to a high pressing Chelsea. 

It wasn't until the last ten minutes of the first half where the Gunners seemed to get into some kind of rhythm.

In the first ten minutes of the second half Danielle Van de Donk gets a promising opportunity to get her side back into the match, but the ball bounced out of her reach right when she found herself one on one with Berger. 

Montemurro made offensive changes when wingers Lisa Evans and Beth Mead came on for Quinn and Jordan Nobbs. 

Arsenal's game seemed to have been impacted instantly, with more pace and creativity going forward. 

Vivianne Miedema was quiet for the entire match, with her best chance coming in the 66th minute when she broke away from the Chelsea defence. But a chip over a beaten Chelsea keeper ended up on the outside side netting. 

Just moment's later Chelsea diminished Arsenal's momentum after Reiten netted a free header in between two red defenders in the 68th minute.

Four minutes later, Mead gave her side a sprinkle of hope that maybe they could get back into the game with 15 minutes left. 

A free header in the back post from a deep cross, was directed down into Berger's reach, but the keeper struggled and the ball crept into the back of the net. 

Arsenal dominated most of the last moments of the game, but still lacked efficiency in their attack, the Blues held them off without much difficulty. 

  • Takeaways

Kerr gets her much anticipated Chelsea goal in her fourth match for the club and her partnership with England is notably only getting started. 

Arsenal's football failed at home against a determined South London team yet again. The North London side haven't been victorious over Chelsea at Meadow Park since 2014. 

The Gunners' next WSL match is against current leader, Man City, which will further hurt their bid to defend their title if they drop points at the Academy Stadium. 

Chelsea play eighth-place West Ham at Kingsmeadow for their next WSL match.