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The start of the match between Chelsea and Arsenal in the Women’s Super League was postponed by 30 minutes because of a uniform clash. The Gunners had the incorrect socks at Stamford Bridge, resulting in a 3-1 loss to their competitors for the league title.
The kickoff for the 7pm starting time was postponed due to Arsenal, the visiting team, needing to switch to black socks purchased from the Chelsea club store. The Gunners had originally warmed up in white socks, but they clashed with Chelsea’s home uniform. Moments before the start of the game, Jonas Eidevall’s team was informed that they needed to find a substitute.
The socks Arsenal acquired were black with blue accents and appeared to have been purchased from the Chelsea team store. To hide the Chelsea logo on the middle of the sock, the Arsenal players had to use tape.
In the previous game at the Emirates in January, Chelsea wore blue shirts, blue shorts, and a different shade of blue socks. However, Arsenal and the officials were unaware of the change until just before kick-off.
Ian Wright, a former Arsenal forward, tweeted his frustrations during the delay on Twitter/X, saying “This is embarrassing. Absolutely ridiculous.”
with their home team kit.
The Arsenal team was required to switch to Chelsea’s away socks in order to prevent a conflict with their own home kit.
Chelsea warmed up in white socks, with Arsenal having to change
1937
In October 1937, Arsenal’s male squad sported red socks during their match at Stamford Bridge.
Former English player Karen Carney stated that the delay of the WSL’s prominent event was not a good representation, as the game was televised live on Sky Sports and drew a crowd of more than 32,000 people at Stamford Bridge.
According to Carney, “Mistakes happen, but they are not necessary in the game and it can be frustrating.” She expressed disappointment that the attention is now on something other than football in the women’s game, after waiting for so long to focus solely on the sport.
It is evident that a human made a mistake, which is embarrassing for both the players and myself. This was a highly anticipated event with a large audience.
“We made a mistake with something as simple as a kit. We will have to move on from it, but it reflects poorly on the integrity of the game.”
This season, Arsenal has been exceptional outside the field. They have been setting the standard for fan turnout, attendance, and marketing. However, their recent error was regrettable.
The situation escalated for Arsenal as they let in three goals in the first 31 minutes at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea’s victory widened the gap between the two teams to six points in the race for the title.
Chelsea forward Lauren James put in a star performance on the pitch to lead Chelsea to victory, but Arsenal manager Jonas Eidveall said he would not be making excuses after the delay to the game.
“The colors clashed and it was not noticed until late by myself, the players, and Chelsea,” Eidevall stated. “We were informed that we could not use those colors and had to make changes.”
“It was identical for the opposing team. I refuse to make excuses – that would be absurd. The situation applied to both teams, and we had to adjust accordingly.”
During the month of October, the men’s team from Arsenal sported red socks instead of their usual color as part of their home kit while playing a 2-2 tie at Stamford Bridge.
Cannot reword.
