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      Emma Hayes praises Chelsea’s ‘character-building’ win after her Blues beat Lyon after penalties in the Champions League

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      EMMA HAYES was left “relieved and exhausted” by the dramatic penalty shootout that saw Chelsea reach the Women’s Champions League semi-finals.  The Blues boss hailed Maren Mjelde and Ann-Katrin Berger after her side defeated Lyon in an intense Stamford Bridge encounter. 
      Maren Mjelde converted two spot-kicks in a matter of minutes for Chelsea against LyonCredit: Getty
      Ann-Katrin Berger saved Wendi Renard’s and Lindsey Horan’s spot-kicks in a dramatic penalty shootoutCredit: Getty
      Chelsea are set to face Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Champions LeagueCredit: Getty
      Berger sent Chelsea fans into delirium after pulling off two shootout saves late on Thursday evening during an intense quarter-final decider.
      Her side’s European run looked to be over with Lyon leading 2-1 on aggregate with the Blues having won the first leg 1-0 in France. 
      But they were awarded a penalty in extra time (in the 124th minute following a VAR check for a foul on James in the box much to Lyon’s dismay. 
      And Mjelde coolly converted to take the clash to a shootout with the Norway ace later netting the first spot-kick. 
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      Chelsea went on to win 4-3 on pens to enter semi-finals alongside Wolfsburg, Barcelona and WSL rivals Arsenal. 
      Hayes, whose team will play Barcelona in the semis, said: “We’ve never won a penalty shootout as a team so can you imagine what was going through my mind.
      “I had to be conscious that the penalty takers were [still] on the pitch as I didn’t see a goal in us to be honest.
      “When I saw Lyon’s substitutes coming off the bench – one after another, all world-class talents – I felt we dealt with it well.
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      “It was the most character-building performance, even if it was the ugliest.”
      Of Berger and Mjelde’s efforts, Hayes added: “Ann-Katrin is probably the best penalty saving goalkeeper I’ve ever worked with.
      “I felt really confident going into the penalty shootout, even if I didn’t look it. 
      “Every day [in training] everyone always hates going up against her. 
      “For Maren to do what she did when it was the last kick of the game, when she had to place the ball three times, she’s a Chelsea legend.  
      “She deserves her night as much as Ann-Katrin does, because we know what she’s like from penalties. 
      “I knew that if we got to that situation momentum would turn and it was drama. I’m relieved and exhausted.
      The hosts, watched by Graham Potter, Reece James and Marc Cucurella came close to sharing a goalless normal time draw that would have seen them through.
      After an early wobble with Ann-Katrin Berger spilling the ball after Delphine Cascarino’s rifled  third-minute shot they held their own
      And Lauren James forced a flying save from goalkeeper Christiane Endler in the 24th minute.
      The second spell saw the visitors ring the changes with Ada Hegerberg and Dabritz coming on Signe Bruun and Damaris Egurrola. 
      And Chelsea made some switches of their own including Sophie Ingle coming on for Melanie Leupolz.
      The Blues midfielder suffered a bloodied nose after being elbowed in the face during an aerial duel. 
      Berger’s save of Lindsey Horan’s spot-kick sealed Chelsea’s quarter-final win against LyonCredit: Getty
      Vanessa Gilles gave Lyon a 1-0 lead after netting from a tight angle in the 76th minute.
      And Sarah Dabritz made it 2-0 (and 2-1 on aggregate) with her extra time bottom corner strike, 
      A VAR check by ref Ivana Martinic saw the hosts win a pen in extra time with Lauren James adjudged to have been brought down in the box by Vicky Becho. 
      Mjelde coolly slammed her spot-kick home to take the clash to a nerve-wracking  shootout with Hayes geeing up the home crowd. 
      Mjelde, Sam Kerr and Jessie Fleming netted the Blues’ opening three pens with Dzsenifer Marozan and Ada Hegerberg scoring for Lyon. 
      But Wendi Renard saw Berger save her effort while Endler kept out James’ shot. 
      Jess Carter stepped up to make it 4-3 to Chelsea before Berger saved Lindsey Horan’s shot to seal a famous win. 
      Lyon boss Sonia Bompastor was left frustrated by the result and the ref opting to award Chelsea a late pen
      Sonia Bompastor hailed her side for “playing with their hearts” following their loss to ChelseaCredit: Getty
      The head coach said: “I still feel it wasn’t a penalty and the wrong decision has been made overall.
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      “My girls played with their hearts.
      “To be a side capable of being 2-0 up with very little time left at a place like Stamford Bridge shows what a good performance it was.” More

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      Chelsea star Melanie Leupolz forced off with nasty injury as blood streams down her face and fans fume at ref

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      CHELSEA star Melanie Leupolz was forced off with a nasty injury during her side’s dramatic Champions League quarter-final clash with Lyon this evening.Leupolz’s face was severely bloodied after a clash with Danielle van de Donk.
      Melanie Leupolz was severely bloodied during her side’s Champions League clashCredit: AFP
      The German required four minutes of on-field treatmentCredit: Getty
      The incident occurred during the 65th minute of the tense second leg at Stamford Bridge.
      Play was allowed to continue after Leupolz and ex-Arsenal star Van de Donk collided, despite the Blues star clutching her head on the ground.
      When the game was finally halted by the ball going out of play, Leupolz rolled over to reveal a significant amount of blood streaming from her face.
      The German star required four minutes of treatment before the game could resume.
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      And she was eventually replaced by Welsh international Sophie Ingle in the 71st minute.
      One fan was left furious by the officials’ handling of the incident.
      They wrote on Twitter: “Leupolz will remember this game after that!
      “Nose absolutely streaming with blood & the ref reluctant to stop the game & telling her to get up! Been pulling this c**p the whole game!”
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      Leupolz, 28, was eventually replaced by Sophie IngleCredit: AFP
      Others winced at the amount of blood on Leupolz’s face.
      One wrote: “Horror film jump scare when Leupolz lifted her head from the turf there.”
      A second tweeted: “Holy lord Leupolz just got absolutely clattered in the face.”
      Another added: “How did the referee take so long to pause the game?
      “Leupolz down holding her head and is now bleeding like crazy from her nose.”
      Chelsea went into the match leading 1-0 from last week’s first leg at Lyon’s Groupama Stadium, courtesy of Guro Reiten’s goal.
      They were pegged back on home soil this evening, however, with Canadian defender Vanessa Gilles levelling the tie for Lyon on 77 minutes.
      When Sara Dabritz scored Lyon’s second 20 minutes into extra time, it looked for all the world that the French side would advance to the semi-finals.
      But Maren Mjelde’s 128th minute penalty sent the tie to a penalty shoot-out, with goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger the hero as the Blues triumphed 4-3 on spot-kicks.
      Lyon celebrate Vanessa Gilles’ leveller on the nightCredit: Getty More

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      Eriksson wants Blues to show ‘Chelsea mentality’ in Champions League clash with Lyon

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      MAGDA ERIKSSON says Chelsea cannot dwell on their loss to Manchester City before their decisive Champions League battle with Lyon. The Blues captain, 29, is up for the challenge of taking on Ada Hegerberg should she feature in the clash at Stamford Bridge. 
      A win against Lyon would see Chelsea join Arsenal in the Women’s Champions League semi-finalsCredit: Getty
      Magda Eriksson are unbeaten in the competition so far this seasonCredit: Getty
      Emma Hayes wants Eriksson and her team-mates to impose themselves on LyonCredit: Getty
      Tonight the WSL champs face the French side in the quarter-final second leg of the tournament, four days after losing to City in the top tier. 
      Eriksson, whose team secured a 1-0 first leg win in France, said: “We’re very experienced with having games back-to-back so we know we can’t dwell too long on defeats.
      “We’ve looked at it, we’ve talked about it, dealt with it and learned from it. Now we’ve moved on and now we’re ready for this game.”
      Last Wednesday’s first leg saw Bright hobble off the pitch before half-time. 
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      And Emma Hayes was tightlipped on the availability of her vice-captain for tonight’s game. 
      The Chelsea chief said on Wednesday: “Millie was the only player we trained without.
      “We’re maximising as much time as we can but she wasn’t in training.”
      The game at Stamford Bridge could see Lyon striker Hegerberg make her long-awaited return to action from injury. 
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      The Norway ace netted in last May’s final with Lyon lifting their eighth Champions League trophy after beating Barcelona 3-1. 
      The striker is currently the tournament’s all-time top scorer.
      On the task of attempting to thwart Hegerberg, Eriksson added: “I’m here for it. It’s going to be a great challenge. 
      “Domestically, almost on a weekly basis, we play against some of the best strikers in the world so we’re prepared for it.
      “We have to show it on the pitch and show the Chelsea mentality that we know we have.
      Hayes added: “We have to be brave. You have to appreciate their record speaks for itself.
      “It’s important for us as a team to impose ourselves, be aggressive in the right moments and be positive in everything that we do.
      “The opportunity is there in front of us and I know the entire dressing room is very much looking forward to it.”
      This evening’s fixture could see the 2021 Champions League finalists pull in one of their highest match attendances this season.
      A crowd of 17,000 is expected at the game. 
      Head coach Sonia Bompastor wants to steer Lyon to a ninth Champions League crown ten years after lifting the trophy as team captainCredit: Reuters
      Eriksson said: “The crowd and the team feed off each other, we love our fans and they mean so much to us.

      “It means a lot that we get to have this game at Stamford Bridge.
      “We’ve had some good experiences there. We’ll have that in front of our minds when we go out on the pitch.” More

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      Jonas Eidevall hails special Emirates atmosphere after Arsenal brush aside Bayern Munich in Women’s Champions League

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      JONAS EIDEVALL believes history is being created at Arsenal after a record crowd turned out to watch his side beat Bayern Munich at the Emirates. Frida Maanum fired in a wonder goal as the Gunners sealed a 2-0 second-leg quarters victory in front of 21,307 fans at the stadium. 
      Frida Maanum earned a player of the match award for her shift in midfield for ArsenalCredit: Getty
      Stina Blackstenius’s goal gave the Gunners the 2-0 lead they needed to progress to the Champions League semi-finalsCredit: Getty
      Jonas Eidevall says Arsenal Women permanently moving to the Emirates “might be a realistic vision for the future”Credit: Getty
      The Wednesday night match saw the club set a new attendance record for a Women’s Champion’s League game in England. 
      After their victory, Eidevall said: “I get the sense of belief that we’re seeing history getting created very quickly in front of our eyes, when I see how the attendances and the culture is here at the Emirates Stadium. 
      “Five years ago, if someone would have said that Arsenal’s long-term plan is to move permanently to Emirates Stadium, people would probably have asked ‘how is that going to happen?’
      “Now I think people understand that that might be a realistic vision for the future.
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      “It was special when I came here and we beat Chelsea 3-2 in my first game but that was a limited time we had worked here.
      “This feels like 20 months’ combination of work going into a double header against one of the best teams in Europe at the moment. I’m very proud of that.
      “I got a very nice message from Edu after the game. The support of the whole club is magnificent.
      “They talk a lot about when you’re around Arsenal that we always act with class, but when you’re inside the organisation you really understand the meaning of those words.”
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      Two goals in seven minutes secured a win that sees the Gunners enter the contest’s last four stage for the first time since 2013.
      Maanum, Stina Blackstenius and Caitlin Foord were among the players who shone on the night as the Gunners harried their opponents. 
      Maanum opened the scoring after being teed up by Leah Williamson firing home a thunderbolt shot in the 19th minute. 
      Victoria Pelova came close to netting moments later with Bayern in disarray in defence before Blackstenius doubled the Gunners’ advantage.
      Arsenal return to domestic action with a WSL game at home next against Manchester CityCredit: Getty
      She did so with a bullet header after Katie McCabe’s pinpoint 26th-minute cross bagging her third goal in eight Champions League appearances this term. 
      Foord almost got on the scoresheet late in the second half after latching on to a cheeky backheel pass from Maanum. 
      The result saw the Gunners reach the tournament for the first time in a decade before their WSL duel against Manchester City at Meadow Park on Sunday.  More

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      ‘With the squad we have we can beat any team’, says Jonas Eidevall as Arsenal target defeat of Bayern Munich

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      JONAS EIDEVALL wants Arsenal to turn the frustration of their loss to Bayern Munich around by knocking them out of the Champions League. The Gunners chief believes his side are capable of beating any team in Europe as they target a contest semis spot.  
      Jonas Eidevall believes Arsenal are capable of beating any side in EuropeCredit: Getty
      The Gunners fell to a narrow 1-0 loss Bayern in the first-leg of this term’s Champions League quarter-finalsCredit: Getty
      Bayern come into this game off the back off a 1-0 win against Wolfsburg in the Frauen BundesligaCredit: Getty
      A Wednesday night win of at least 2-0 at the Emirates would see the Gunners enter the contest semis for the first time in a decade. 
      The Arsenal boss said: “With the squad that we have here, we can beat any team at any time. 
      “We know it’s going to be determined with small details, but I feel with this squad of players, against any team in the world we play, I know we have a chance of beating them.
      “Having that feeling is one of the greatest feelings to have because then you know that everything is possible.”
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      The Gunners’ first-leg quarter’s clash with their opponents saw them fall to a 1-0 loss at the Allianz Arena. 
      And Eidevall was left frustrated after seeing a few of his side’s penalty appeals dismissed.
      He also questioned Bayern’s decision not to use goal line tech which will be in place at the Emirates. 
       The Gunners’ chief, who criticised how VAR was deployed last time out, said: “I wasn’t necessarily unhappy with the technology. 
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      “It was more the people (officials) that were sitting there as I still think they had choices to make.
      “But with the frustration felt after that game, we have to turn that into action and use that positive energy. 
      “We can’t focus on what has been, we have to focus on what’s in front of us and we can’t feel sorry for ourselves.
      “One of my favourite sayings is you can’t have both results and excuses – you have to choose one of them. 
      “I will always go for the results and that’s the way we will look at that situation and where we have to go looking forwards.”
      Arsenal have so far sold 19,600 tickets for their Emirates clash with Bayern.
      This is a significant rise on the 5,018 tickets flogged ahead of their Champions League quarters home tie last year.
      The game comes a day after Sarina Wiegman named her England squad ahead of friendlies against Brazil and Australia
      Gunners’ centre-back Lotte Wubben-Moy is among high-profile omissions from the 25-strong group. 
      Eidevall added: “I can definitely understand if Lotte is disappointed with not being called up.
      “When she has started for us she has played very well. The competition to get into England is very tough.
      “We all know what an incredible talent and character she is, and I’m sure she will find her way back.”
      Arsenal are currently the only English side to have triumphed in the Women’s Champions League with the team lifting the trophy under Vic Akers back in 2007.
      Their match comes a night before Chelsea’s quarter-final decider against Lyon at Stamford Bridge with the Blues aiming to win the contest for the first time. 
      The last time an Arsenal side played in the semi-finals was back in April 2013 with the team losing 4-1 on aggregrate to Wolfsburg.
      While Eidevall admits Gunners’ progressing to the semis would be pleasing, he has no intention of resting on his laurels. 
      The Arsenal gaffer added: “It’s not like I’m going to retire and lay on a beach somewhere thinking what a great achievement that was.
      “You have to make the most of the opportunity. 
      Arsenal’s game comes a day after Leah Williamson topped this year’s BBC Radio Four Women’s Hour Power ListCredit: Getty
      “To be a champion of a continent is probably the greatest thing you can win in club football in Europe. 
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      “And it’s something that we are very proud of in our history. If we in the future could repeat that, it would be great. 
      “Like I said, I have to believe that we can beat any on any given day so let’s make the most of it.” More

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      Hannah Hampton returns to England fold but only ‘a miracle’ could see injured Beth Mead in World Cup contention

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      HANNAH HAMPTON has been named in England’s squad five months after being dropped last October due to “personal issues”. The goalkeeper, 22 who had been left out of Lionesses’ last three camps, will rejoin ahead of fixtures against Brazil and Australia. 
      Hannah Hampton is set to the Lionesses camp for the first time since last summer’s EurosCredit: Getty
      Esme Morgan has also been re-called to Sarina Wiegman’s squad ahead of England’s games against Brazil and Australia in AprilCredit: Alamy
      Sarina Wiegman believes return for Mead for the World Cup could be too earlyCredit: AP
      Her return follows some impressive shifts between the sticks for Aston Villa with the club reaching the Women’s FA Cup semi-finals for the first time this year. 
      England chief Wiegman, 53, said: “As I’ve said over all the other camps, Hannah needed to sort out some personal issues – she’s done that. 
      “She has shown great performances. She has shown consistency and done that at her club first, so I thought this is the moment to bring her in.”
      Hampton, who made her senior international debut in a 0-0 draw against Spain last February, was part of the squad that triumphed at last summer’s Euros 
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      But the Villa ace was dropped before two World Cup qualifiers against Austria and Luxembourg in September, and friendlies against the Czech Republic and the USA in October.
      She was also omitted ahead of games against Japan and Norway in November amid reports of alleged attitude concerns. 
      Since then she has helped her club climb to fifth in the WSL keeping two clean sheets in their last three league games. 
      Wiegman, who today named her 25-strong squad ahead of their two World Cup warm-up games next month, admits Beth Mead is not in her tournament plans. 
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      But the England chief is open to reconsidering if “a miracle happens” with the Arsenal forward’s rehab from an ACL injury.  
      Wiegman added: “I had a conversation with Beth. She’s continuing her rehab: she’s doing good, but the World Cup is actually too early. 
      “So what we’ve said is, she’s not in our plans now, so she’s just really taking the time to get back well.
      “But if a miracle happens and she goes so fast, then we’ll reconsider.”
      The Lionesses, who are currently unbeaten under Wiegman, will play Brazil at Wembley on Tuesday 6 April in the first ever Women’s Finalissima.
      The Euros winners then face World Cup co-hosts Australia at Brentford’s ground on April 11 as part of their preparations for the tournament this summer. 
      Man City defender Esme Morgan is back in the squad with uncapped West Ham defender Lucy also named. 
      But Lotte Wubben-Moy, Katie Zelem and Ebony Salmon have been dropped along with injured goalkeeper Emily Ramsey.
      Millie Bright is expected to return action for Chelsea this week after hobbling against Lyon last WednesdayCredit: Getty
      England vice-captain Millie Bright has been included with Wiegman hopeful the Chelsea centre-back will be fit for duels with the Selecao and the Matildas. 
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      She said: “Millie is being assessed by her club. They have a Champions League (game) and then (a match) against Aston Villa on Sunday. 
      “I hope everything goes well and she can have good games or progress this week and can come in.”
      England Women’s SquadGoalkeepers:
      Mary Earps (Manchester United), Hannah Hampton (Aston Villa), Sandy MacIver (Manchester City), Ellie Roebuck (Manchester City)
      Defenders: 
      Millie Bright (Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (Barcelona), Jess Carter (Chelsea), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Maya le Tissier (Manchester United), Esme Morgan (Manchester City), Lucy Parker (West Ham), Leah Williamson (Arsenal)
      Midfielders: 
      Laura Coombs (Manchester City), Jordan Nobbs (Aston Villa), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Manchester United), Keira Walsh (Barcelona)
      Forwards:
      Rachel Daly (Aston Villa), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Jess Park (Everton), Alessia Russo (Manchester United), Katie Robinson (Brighton) More

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      ‘It’s a big step’, says Taylor after Manchester City’s defeat of title rivals Chelsea

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      GARETH TAYLOR hailed Lauren Hemp for helping Manchester City punish Chelsea whilst contending with an ear infection. Filippa Angeldahl’s angled strike and Hemp’s fierce finish sealed a 2-0 victory halting City’s 11-game winless WSL run against the Blues.
      Filippa Angeldahl’s stunning opener paved the way for a hardfought Man City victory against ChelseaCredit: Alamy
      The win for Gareth Taylor’s side saw the title race become much tighter with just three points seperating Manchester United and Man City from Arsenal who are fourthCredit: Alamy
      Steph Houghton and Lauren Hemp impressed for Gareth Taylor’s against ChelseaCredit: Reuters
      It saw Gareth Taylor’s aces go second above Chelsea before their clash with fourth-placed Arsenal this coming Sunday. 
      The City gaffer said: “We looked dangerous on the break and I was mulling over getting fresh legs on 
      “But I think sometimes, when you’re in the moment like that, it’s really difficult. 
      “The one change we made was more because Lauren has been suffering and she didn’t train on Saturday. 
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      “She is suffering with an ear infection and pushed herself to the limit in this game.”
      City’s Sunday afternoon win at the Academy Stadium was watched by Usain Bolt.
      The Jamaican sprint king is in town to take part in Soccer Aid as captain of a world XI side.
      The 100m world-record holder is said to have asked Hemp for her shirt after the game.  
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      And the fleet-footed winger quipped it was a case of “fast meeting faster” in a humorous tweet with a picture of herself and Bolt holding her club jersey.
      City defender Esme Morgan said: “Lauren ground away, scored an amazing goal and she does graft so hard. 
      “She’s always there fighting, pressing  and battling, and I’ve heard Usain Bolt just asked for her shirt and she’s just so impressed. 
      Morgan added: “Lauren came up to me after the game and said ‘Esme, guess who just asked for my shirt?’ 
      “I was racking my head through the Chelsea team thinking, ‘who has she had a battle with who might have wanted it after?’. 
      “When I couldn’t think of anyone, she said Usain Bolt. I couldn’t believe it! It must be the pace.
      Before the match Man City had drawn six and lost five of their last 11 WSL games against Chelsea with their last win registered in May 2017.
      The match was watched by Sarina Wiegman with the England boss due to name her squad before the Lionesses’ games against Brazil and Australia in April. 
      Emma Hayes’ side got off to a fast start in attack with Sam Kerr and Lauren James jetting into the box within the opening two minutes. 
      But City took control of the first spell taking advantage of a short clearance with Angeldahl firing home an angled 11th-minute opener. 
      Hemp made it 2-0 nineteen minutes later with a finely struck effort with the visitors facing pressure in the final third. 
      Chelsea, missing the presence of Millie Bright who is temporarily sidelined by injury, rang the changes before half-time. 
      James and Sophie Ingle made way for Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Niamh Charles with Hayes shoring up her defence and midfield. 
      The second spell saw the Blues attempt to boost their attacking efforts with a Maren Mjelde’s injury-time shot over the bar, among their strongest efforts.
      Emma Hayes’ side aim to return to winning ways when they face Lyon next in a Champions League quarter-final deciderCredit: Reuters
      The result saw the title holders fall to their first WSL loss of the season before their Champions League quarters decider with Lyon on Thursday.
      Chelsea boss Emma Hayes said:”We’ve got to move on as quickly as possible. 
      “I don’t think people realise how tough it is to come up here with our third away game in seven days, really really tough.
      “We’ve still got a game in hand, we need to maximise that. It’s fantastic for the league that the title race is like this.”
      Taylor concurred that the title was still Chelsea’s to lose while acknowledge had taken a huge step forward in their battle to win it. 
      Gareth Taylor hopes to keep Man City’s title chase momentum going when his team visit ArsenalCredit: Reuters
      He added: ‘To be in this position now from where we were is top. 
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      “We’ve not done anything yet, we’ve still got some important games to come, six games left,  a lot of challenges in front of us but we go into it with high levels of confidence. 
      “It’s still Chelsea’s title to lose if we look at it that way but it’s a real positive step for us and gives us great confidence going into this next period.” More

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      ‘The level is much higher here’, says Julie Blakstad as she reflects on her first year at Manchester City

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      JULIE BLAKSTAD believes there may be a silver lining to Manchester City’s quarter-final exit from the FA Cup. It leaves Gareth Taylor’s side free to focus solely on overtaking their rivals in a four-way fight for this season’s title. 
      Julie Blakstad believes expects this season’s title race to remain really tight until the end of this seasonCredit: Alamy
      The midfielder’s side are set to face Chelsea at a sell-out Academy Stadium clashCredit: Reuters
      Blackstad says playing in last season’s Conti Cup and FA Cup finals has been the highlight of her first year as a Man City playerCredit: Getty
      A home win for the Citizens against Chelsea today would be a significant step in their bid to claim the WSL crown for the first time under Taylor.  
      It would see them go level on points with Marc Skinner’s Man United side and one ahead of the Blues who have a game in hand.
      Blakstad, 21, told SunSport: “There are both positives and negatives to going out of the FA Cup.
      “Now we can put all our attention into the league. 
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      “We would have preferred to advance in the competition.
      “However with things going the way they did, we can fully focus on the league and it’s going to be a really tight race.
      “There are some tough games coming up.
      “It’s probably good for us to get more training time in between league fixtures and we can really focus on those seven (WSL) games we have left.”
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      City’s league cup-winning and FA Cup final exploits last year are among Blakstad’s favourite memories of her first year at the club.  
      The midfielder, who is among Norway’s rising stars, sealed a January switch from seven-time Norwegian top-tier champions Rosenborg. 
      Since then, she has helped the Academy Stadium giants to a memorable Conti Cup win last March.
      Back then, they beat  Chelsea 3-1 at Plough Lane with Blackstad making a second half substitute appearance.
      She also featured in last term’s FA Cup final where Taylor’s side fell to a 3-2 loss to Emma Hayes’ Blues after taking the battle for the trophy to extra time. 
      Blakstad added: “When we won the Conti Cup final, that was for me a big achievement and quite early after I came to the club. 
      “It was a really big thing to play in the FA Cup final even though we lost, 
      “Having a crowd of almost 50,000 people watching the game and with that atmosphere was a big moment 
      Before her WSL move, Blakstad who grew up in a village located 59 miles from Norway’s capital Oslo, spent two years at Rosenborg. 
      The club, founded in 1917, competes in the country’s top football league known as the Toppserien. 
      And Blakstad sees the contrast in pace and physicality in Norway’s top tier and the WSL as one of the biggest differences between the divisions. 
      The City ace, named in Uefa’s ‘ten players to watch list’ in 2021, adds “The level is much higher here and that was what I expected. 
      “It’s a good thing when you move out that you actually take a step forward. 
      “The biggest difference is how quick the players are both in the legs but also in their heads in terms of their play. 
      “The game is much quicker, and more physical as well on the pitch.”
      Blakstad admits swapping Norway for life in England’s third most populated city has been an interesting experience. 
      The midfield ace said: “When I first came here, everyone was so helpful, and it was nice settling in. 
      “But I would say it’s a difference for me living in a big city like Manchester when I’m used to going out hiking and out in the forest.”
      Today City hope to pick up their first win against Chelsea in the league for the first time since May 2017. 
      The game could see Blakstad take to the field against national team-mate Guro Reiten who has registered four goals and nine assists in 13 WSL appearances this term. 
      Blakstad expects Guro Reiten will be key figure at the World Cup this summerCredit: Getty
      Blakstad said: “She has been incredible both for her club and also our national team. 
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      “For Norway it’s important when we go into the World Cup that we have players doing really well at a club like Chelsea.
      “Guro is going to be important for us this summer.”  More