Having earned a two-goal lead at Emirates Stadium last week, Arsenal knew the onus was on Chelsea to come at them in the second leg – and were happy to let them try.
They expected an early storm and Chelsea did threaten for the opening 15 minutes, but it was not enough to rattle Arsenal, who looked composed and confident throughout the first half.
The defending champions kept their cool and took the sting out of the the first half, frustrating Chelsea by slowing down the tempo and controlling midfield.
Slegers would have been delighted at half-time as Chelsea’s players trudged down the tunnel having not really got a foothold in the game, despite creating a few chances.
England defender Lotte Wubben-Moy was a rock at the back, taming Chelsea’s talented front three for large spells, while Scotland midfielder Erin Cuthbert was marked out of the game.
But as the clock ticked on, Chelsea’s desperation grew and Arsenal were under heavy pressure to maintain their clean sheet.
Kerr forced a sublime save from goalkeeper Van Domselaar, before Nusken eventually got one goal back deep in stoppage time.
Chaos followed as Chelsea boss Bompastor could not contain her frustration, sent off after receiving a second yellow card.
Arsenal, though, delivered just about the perfect gameplan and will go into the semi-finals full of confidence.
Their domestic form has lifted them to third in the Women’s Super League with two games in hand – putting them in a strong position to qualify for next season’s Women’s Champions League.
However, their focus is on defending their crown this year – and their semi-final opponents will not enjoy facing them.
