Chelsea vs Arsenal: The Rivalry That Defines the WSL

On 24 January, the WSL serves up the fixture that always tells us where the league really is.

Chelsea vs Arsenal isn’t just another top-four clash or a neat line in the calendar, it’s the rivalry that has shaped the women’s game in England. When these two meet, it’s not just about three points. It’s about power, prestige, and who gets the derby win bragging rights.

The London Derby Down-Low

Photo Credit: Arsenal Football Club

In all competitions, Chelsea and Arsenal have faced each other 43 times… Chelsea hold the edge with 22 wins, Arsenal have 14, and 7 games have ended level. But the numbers only tell part of the story. This rivalry is one of the most anticipated fixtures in the women’s football calendar, and the history behind these 43 fixtures had evolved from one sided dominance, to a now, table tennis back and forth. 

Before the set up of the WSL in 2011, Arsenal were the team to beat. Their 11 consecutive league titles in the 2000s didn’t just establish dominance, it built the blueprint for what success in women’s football could look like. And whilst Chelsea were still a top team, there wasn’t that total power shift, until Emma Hayes came in.

The Chelsea x Hayes era will always be iconic, not just for their relentless results, but also Hayes’ impact off the pitch. She pushed boards, demanded investment, and changed how elite women’s football thought about performance, from nutrition and recovery to medical insights and menstrual-cycle-led training. Leading to the Chelsea dominance of today…

When Sonia Bompastor was announced as the new head coach, after Hayes left the club for the US WNT head coach position, there was no doubt that this dominance would continue. Chelsea completed an invincible season, when they went unbeaten in the 2024-25 league, and completed another domestic treble. 

For years, Chelsea have chased the quadruple, and for years, Europe has been the missing piece. Arsenal’s Champions League triumph in 2025 shifted the dynamic completely, adding another layer of fire to this already well-fueled rivalry, with Arsenal fans chanting out “Champions of Europe, the only in the land - not even Chelsea”. Chelsea lifted the domestic treble that same season, but it was Arsenal standing on Europe’s biggest stage.

With the FA confirming that from 2026-27 UWCL clubs will no longer compete in the League Cup to ease player welfare concerns, this is the season to bring that quadruple home, and for Chelsea, the urgency has never been clearer.

Other rivalries exist in the WSL, but none carry this weight. The North London Derby hasn’t scaled in the women’s game in the same way, largely due to uneven investment and competitive balance. Chelsea vs Arsenal, by contrast, is elite vs elite. The league’s deepest squads and biggest ambitions. This is the rivalry that decides titles, and UWCL qualification spots.

Moments That Live Rent-Free

We are going to take a look back at some of our favourite London Derby moments over the last few years. 

League Cup Final of Dreams

Photo Credit: Arsenal Football Club

An Arsenal and Chelsea League Cup Final is the pinnacle of a head-to-head. In the 2020 fixture, Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-1, with some incredible saves from no one other than Ann-Katrin Berger. Then, Arsenal beat Chelsea 3-1 in the 2023 League Cup final, and went on the following year to win the cup back-to-back after a 1-0 win after extra time. 

If You Can't Stand The Heat...

Last season’s league meeting at Stamford Bridge brought a pure edge, with a true battle of the best between two top teams, before Katie McCabe got sent off, and a Guro Reiten penalty deciding a tight 1-0 Chelsea win. 

Even the dugouts have felt the heat of the rivalry with Emma Hayes and Jonas Eidevall’s bringing their own tension briefly bubbling over in the 2024 League Cup final, with a heated exchange and dismissed handshake.

Don't Forget Your Socks...

Photo Credit: Reuters

And then there’s Sockgate, the most iconic moment of them all. In 2024, due to a kit error, Arsenal arrived without the correct socks, leading to a delayed match, and a lot of angry Arsenal fans in Chelsea socks… Arsenal went on to lose 3-1. 

This iconic moment couldn't have happened to a better set of clubs. 

The Next Chapter

So when Chelsea and Arsenal meet on 24 January, it won’t just be another game. It’ll be a fight for a secure top 3, bragging rights, and domestic dominance. 

Get your tickets and head to a packed out Stamford Bridge for a 12:30pm kickoff, next Saturday! 

Will London be Blue or Red?

• Blue - backing Chelsea all the way!
• Red - Arsenal have got this one!
• Draw - too hard to pick one...