Arsenal Dragon
UEFA Backs Champions League Officials After Sonia Bompastor Slams VAR Following Chelsea Exit to Arsenal as Katie McCabe Hair Pull Goes Unpunished
UEFA has rejected Sonia Bompastor’s criticism of officiating standards in the Women’s Champions League after the Chelsea boss slammed VAR for failing to penalise Arsenal’s Katie McCabe for pulling Alyssa Thompson’s hair during Wednesday’s quarter-final second leg. The governing body insists it has full faith in the officials selected for the competition.
Bompastor was shown two yellow cards, resulting in a red during Chelsea’s 1-0 win, which saw the Blues crash out 3-2 on aggregate to Arsenal.
The French manager was fuming after VAR failed to review McCabe’s clear hair pull on Thompson late in the match, and also referenced the disallowed Veerle Buurman goal from the first leg.
Bompastor Questions Why VAR Not Checking Incidents
“I can probably understand the referees sometimes can’t see that, but I don’t understand why the VAR is not checking that situation,” Bompastor explained after the match. “At the end, I’m the one who gets a red card, where I think the Arsenal player should be the one who gets a red card. What is the VAR doing in these games? If we have the VAR, why are we not checking these situations? It’s not good enough.”
Thompson was reportedly crying after the incident, with the American winger visibly upset by McCabe’s actions. However, McCabe later posted on social media that the hair pull was not intentional, saying she was genuinely reaching for the shirt.
UEFA Stands Firm on Referee Standards
Sky Sports News understands UEFA has full faith in the officials selected in the Champions League this season, given their experience in European and international competitions. The governing body is confident in their training and development plans for referees in the women’s game, something they’ve invested heavily in over recent years.
Bompastor’s frustration is completely understandable given the obvious nature of the incident.
Also read: Sonia Bompastor Refuses to Address Sam Kerr Exit Speculation Amid Chelsea Striker’s Uncertain Future
Arsenal Dragon
26-Year-Old Star Insists Arsenal Want to Defend Champions League Title After Progressing Past Chelsea Despite Stamford Bridge Defeat
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
Chelsea Women host Arsenal Women at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening in the second leg of their UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter final. The Blues trail 3-1 from the first leg at the Emirates Stadium and face a daunting task to overturn the deficit against the defending champions, who are riding a nine match winning streak across all competitions.
Sonia Bompastor’s side got back to winning ways in the WSL on Saturday with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Aston Villa after falling behind early. Sam Kerr, Naomi Girma, and Lauren James all found the net before Sjoeke Nusken emerged as the hero with the decisive goal in a breathless encounter at Stamford Bridge.
Kick-off: 20:00 BST, Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London
TV: BBC iPlayer and Disney+
Arsenal Cruising After Clinical First Leg Performance
Arsenal were ruthless at the Emirates last week, racing into a two goal halftime lead through Stina Blackstenius and Chloe Kelly before Alessia Russo restored their advantage after Lauren James had briefly given Chelsea hope with a stunning strike. The Gunners have won nine consecutive matches and demolished Tottenham 5-2 in Saturday’s north London derby.
Chelsea will need to produce a monumental performance to reach the semi finals after falling behind in this competition for the first time this season. The Blues finished third in the league phase before dispatching Barcelona and Roma, but now face elimination unless they can overturn a two goal deficit.
First Leg Defeat Increases Pressure on Bompastor
This represents the first meeting between Chelsea and Arsenal in the Champions League, though the sides have faced each other three times already this season. Arsenal won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in January before both teams played out a 1-1 draw at the Emirates in November when Alyssa Thompson scored for Chelsea.
Chelsea’s last victory over the Gunners came in January 2025, when Guro Reiten’s late penalty secured a narrow 1-0 win. Bompastor desperately needs her side to produce their best performance of the season.
Predicted Lineups: Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Hampton; Bronze, Girma, Bright, Nouwen; Cuthbert, Nusken; James, Kaptein, Thompson; Kerr
Arsenal (4-3-3): van Domselaar; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Little, Caldentey, Maanum; Kelly, Russo, Blackstenius
Arsenal Dragon
Arsenal Captain Signs New One Year Contract Extension as Scotland Midfielder Commits Future to Gunners Until 2027
Kim Little has signed a new one year contract with Arsenal Women, extending her legendary stay at the club where she has won the WSL, League Cup, and Champions League. The Scotland international first joined Arsenal in 2008 before departing for five years away from North London, returning in 2017 to begin her second successful stint with the Gunners.
Little has enjoyed remarkable success during her second spell at Arsenal, lifting the Women’s League Cup three times, winning the Women’s Super League once, and captaining the side to Champions League glory in May 2025 with a historic 1-0 victory over Barcelona in Lisbon. The midfielder recently celebrated 400 appearances for Arsenal and was part of the squad that won the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup earlier this season.
Slegers Praises Little’s Invaluable Contribution
Renee Slegers expressed her delight at retaining Little for another campaign, highlighting the midfielder’s leadership qualities both on and off the pitch. The Arsenal boss emphasized how much of Little’s work goes under the radar despite impressive statistical output.
“There’s a lot of work that Kim does that is under the radar, even though her metrics look very good,” Slegers explained. “She does a lot of things you almost can’t measure; how she helps the team, how she keeps the distance short, how she connects, how she covers spaces and covers for others to be able to play their role.”
Captain Remains Rock for Arsenal
Slegers described Little as a rock for the team, praising her consistency and professionalism in everything she does. The Dutch manager revealed she highly values the collaboration with Little and the captain’s group, seeking their input on crucial decisions as Arsenal continue building something special.
Little’s loyalty to Arsenal has spanned nearly two decades across her two spells, establishing her as one of the most important players in the club’s history. Her consistent performances and leadership qualities make her an essential part of Slegers’ plans going forward.
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