Arsenal manager Renee Slegers has bemoaned Katie McCabe’s hair pull incident overshadowing their two leg Women’s Champions League victory over domestic champions Chelsea.

Ireland’s captain was lucky to avoid being sent off at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday having tugged the hair of Alyssa Thompson as the American sped away towards goal.

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor was livid at the lack of action taken by referee Alina Pesu or the failure of VAR to intervene. She was eventually sent off, citing the moment as the turning point of the tie they were chasing a two goal deficit in from the first leg.

McCabe Apologetic After Discussion With Slegers

McCabe’s incident has dominated the aftermath of the tie and while Slegers claimed there was no intent by the Dubliner, she admitted a discussion with the 30 year old was arranged the following day. “Yeah, I’ve seen it and have spoken to Katie today as well,” the Dutch coach explained. “She’s very apologetic about the situation and it’s unfortunate that it’s happened.”

Slegers is absolutely right to be frustrated that the incident took attention away from what was an excellent Champions League quarter final between two top WSL sides. Arsenal progressed 3-2 on aggregate and will now face Lyon in the semi finals.

McCabe Reports for Ireland Duty After Brighton Clash

McCabe responded to the controversy by providing her input on social media. “I just want to clarify that I was genuinely reaching for the shirt. I wouldn’t ever want to pull someone’s hair. Full respect to Thompson.”

The Ireland captain is due to report for international duty on Monday following Sunday’s FA Cup quarter final against Brighton. Ireland have a World Cup qualification double header against Poland, firstly in Gdansk on Tuesday week followed by the rematch at Lansdowne Road on April 18.

Also read: UEFA Backs Champions League Officials After Sonia Bompastor Slams VAR Following Chelsea Exit to Arsenal as Katie McCabe Hair Pull Goes Unpunished

Chelsea Women face Tottenham Hotspur in the Women’s FA Cup quarter final on Easter Monday as Sonia Bompastor’s side look to bounce back from their Champions League exit to Arsenal. The Blues host Spurs at Kingsmeadow with kick off scheduled for 1.30pm UK time.

Chelsea have lost just once in their last nine matches, a 3-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal in the first leg of the Women’s Champions League quarter final. March also saw the Blues lift the Women’s League Cup with a 2-0 win over Manchester United at Ashton Gate, and Bompastor will be desperate to add more silverware with an FA Cup run.

Kick-off: 13:30 BST, Monday, April 6, 2026
Venue: Kingsmeadow, London
TV: Channel 4, TNT Sports, HBO Max (UK)

Spurs On Poor Run Despite Strong Season

Tottenham have made good progress under boss Martin Ho since he joined the club in the summer, currently sitting fifth in the league with 29 points from 19 matches. His work stands in stark contrast to last season, when the North London club finished second from bottom in the WSL.

However, Spurs are currently on a run of three consecutive defeats, including 5-2 losses in back to back WSL games against Manchester City and Arsenal. This is frankly terrible timing ahead of facing Chelsea.

Blues Boast Dominant Head to Head Record

Chelsea have already beaten Tottenham home and away in the league this season. Keira Walsh scored the only goal at Kingsmeadow in September, before she struck again in February alongside Alyssa Thompson to secure a 2-0 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Predicted Lineups:

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Hampton; Bronze, Girma, Bright, Lawrence; Walsh, Cuthbert; Thompson, James, Reiten; Kerr

Tottenham (4-3-3): Heeps; Nilden, Bartrip, Buhler, Naz; Spence, James, Graham; Clinton, Bizet, Votikova

Also read: Chelsea Face Transfer Battle as Real Madrid Target Niamh Charles in Summer Move After Three Month Injury Absence End

Arsenal Women goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar has insisted the Gunners want to defend their Champions League title after advancing to the semi-finals on Wednesday night. Arsenal lost 1-0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge but still progressed after a 3-2 aggregate victory over their London rivals.

“We want to defend our title,” van Domselaar explained after the match. “That’s what we started the season with. It’s an important part of the legacy, and I feel like we have a lot to bring as well. We’re looking forward to the next game where we’ll do everything we can to defend our title.”

Dutch Goalkeeper Makes Crucial Saves

The Dutch shot stopper made several important saves to help her team across the line in the second leg, with her teammates pushing her towards the away fans at full-time to show their appreciation for her performance. Van Domselaar reflected on the special moment with typical humility.

“I don’t like to be in the centre of attention, but it’s nice of them,” she said. “I feel like we did it as a team and that little special moment for me was special for them to do that. It’s been a bit of an up and down season for me personally but over the last few weeks I feel better.”

Defensive Display Gets Team Over Line

On the defensive display as a whole, van Domselaar added praise for her teammates. “Sometimes you need to be a bit lucky. I feel like today we had the luck on our side. We can be proud of what we’ve done defensively, for sure. Everyone just literally put their body on the line.”

Arsenal will discover their semi-final opponents after the Lyon vs Wolfsburg second leg concludes on Thursday evening.

Also read: Sonia Bompastor Refuses to Address Sam Kerr Exit Speculation Amid Chelsea Striker’s Uncertain Future