Chelsea V Arsenal Scrapbook

There’s nothing like a London derby. The city feels louder, the tube busier and suddenly your whole day revolves around football, friends and getting to the ground on time.

I headed to Stamford Bridge with fellow writer and Girlactico girl Sophie, and my girlfriend Harriet, heading straight for the Arsenal away end with good outfits, good energy and very realistic expectations.

We were ready for a good day out. Little did we know, it was about to be so much better than that.

En Route

Stamford Bridge is easy enough to get to, but the entrances are where patience is tested. Take it from a Bridge veteran: arrive early and lower your expectations slightly. The stewards are always lovely but often a little unsure where you’re meant to go, which means directions change, queues grow and everyone ends up politely double-checking their ticket more than once. Give yourself extra time, take it in your stride and you’ll start the day in much better spirits.

Free Sanitary Products

A special shoutout to the Flo x Chelsea collaboration, who were handing out boxes of pads outside the ground, a genuinely brilliant sight. It was so refreshing to see period stigma being tackled so openly at football, especially in a space that hasn’t always made room for conversations like that.

Flo’s products are free from nasties and designed with pH balance and downstairs health in mind, which is a win in itself and let’s be honest, period products are expensive, so freebies are always very welcome.

Made it to our seats!

One of the great things about Stamford Bridge is that it’s slightly smaller than some of the bigger stadiums (think the Emirates or Old Trafford) which means there really isn’t a bad seat in the house. We were in the Shed End, lower tier, with a clear view of everything on the pitch. The only thing to note is that the seating is on the snug side, so expect close quarters with the people next to you, very much a “we’re all in this together” situation.

An exciting yet uneventful first half...

The first 45 minutes at Stamford Bridge were proper derby energy, lots of movement, eyes on every pass and chances that kept the crowd buzzing, but the scoreboard stayed stubbornly blank. Chelsea and Arsenal matched each other in effort and creativity, with both sides probing and testing and a couple of moments that had everyone in the away end on the edge of theor seats. It was one of those halves where it felt like something could happen at any second and even though the ball didn’t hit the net, you could tell both teams were settling into the battle ahead.

Half time food review!

Food-wise, Stamford Bridge had a solid line-up on offer. There was a butter chicken pie (top of my list for next time), vegan sausage rolls which sadly sold out and classic hot dogs. I went for the hot dog; simple, nostalgic and genuinely delicious (a footy classic for a reason) and I’ll always recommend going all in with ketchup and mustard. There were also plenty of sweet treats and hot drinks dotted around, which felt essential on a football day. Yes, it’s stadium pricing, but honestly? Not as eye-watering as some other grounds I’ve been to, which we’ll happily take.

Second half drama

The second half started and the away end just felt switched on. Every Arsenal pass was met with noise, people standing up without even thinking about it, everyone properly locked in. When Beth Mead scored not long after the restart, our section absolutely erupted, hugging strangers, losing your voice, the whole thing. Mariona Caldentey’s goal followed soon after and it felt like everything we’d been shouting for finally paid off. Chelsea had a few late moments that kept us alert, but the atmosphere where we were was unreal: arms in the air, songs echoing around Stamford Bridge and that shared joy you only really get from football days like this.

The curse is broken

And then there was the history of it all. No team had ever beaten Chelsea FC at Stamford Bridge in the WSL, until now. From the away end, it felt like watching a little piece of football mythology quietly unravel, the kind of stat you’d heard before kickoff but never really expected to see shift. Curse lifted, record rewritten and a London derby we’ll be talking about for a long time.

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A celebratory trip to the pub

Of course, celebrations meant heading straight to The Wolfpack after the final whistle, an elite away pub and absolutely full of Arsenal fans, which felt exactly right. The vibes were high, songs still floating around and we couldn’t have picked a better place to land. One tip though: if you’re heading there with a big group, definitely book a table. We managed to get in as a walk-in three, but they’re strict on numbers and it fills up fast. Drinks-wise, there’s a great selection of beers on tap (their house lager is so good), but as I was doing Dry January, I happily stuck with a fizzy drink, celebration energy fully intact.

A derby to remember

What a day. As an Arsenal fan, I was completely over the moon, though my heart does go out to all my Chelsea friends, because football can be cruel like that. By the time we got home, we were totally exhausted from singing and shouting all afternoon, so it was an early night, takeaway on the sofa energy and the final episode of Arsenal’s 'Only in the Land' to round it all off. Loud football, brilliant women, a historic win and a very good sleep. Honestly, couldn’t have asked for more.