London City Lionesses 1, Chelsea 1.

Second-half pressure earns London City Lionesses a deserved point against the champions.

21^st March 2026 | The Den, London

London City Lionesses drew 1-1 with Chelsea on a sunny derby day at The Den, with Johanna Rytting Kaneryd opening the scoring for the visitors before Izzy Goodwin’s late equaliser secured a point for London City in front of a lively home crowd.

It was an even and competitive first half, with both sides creating moments. Chelsea threatened early, but London City quickly grew into the game. Lete was called into action to produce a standout save in a one-on-one situation, keeping the scores level and setting the tone for a composed defensive display.

Chelsea took the lead midway through the half through Rytting Kaneryd, slipping through our defence and slotting the ball into the bottom corner.

London City responded well, earning a free kick in a dangerous position after Nikita Parris was brought down on the edge of the box, Grace Geyoro testing the Chelsea goalkeeper as the hosts looked to find a route back before the break.

After the interval, London City returned with greater intensity and attacking intent, and from the opening moments of the second half began to push Chelsea deeper. Lete was again required early on to deny Beever-Jones, but from there the game tilted firmly in London City’s favour.

The introduction of Lucía Corrales, Delphine Cascarino and Goodwin added energy and directness to the attack, and the hosts began to create sustained pressure. Crosses into the box, quick combinations in advanced areas and aggressive pressing forced Chelsea deeper into their own half.

Chances followed, with Jana Fernández came close with a volley from the edge of the area. Delphine Cascarino was twice denied as London City continued to threaten, first through a blocked effort and then a close-range header saved by Hampton.

The pressure intensified further as Julia Roddar struck the crossbar following a corner, before Kosovare Asllani saw a goal-bound effort cleared off the line in a moment that summed up the hosts’ persistence.

That persistence was finally rewarded in the 82nd minute.

Corrales once again broke down the left and drove the ball across goal. The initial effort was stopped, but Izzy Goodwin reacted quickest to convert the rebound and bring London City level, a goal that reflected the balance of the second half.

With six minutes added on, London City continued to push, but the points were ultimately shared after a strong performance at the Den.

Head Coach Eder Maestre reflected positively on both the performance and the occasion, highlighting the scale of the challenge and the team’s response.

“I’m very happy and excited because the challenge was amazing, and the way we were able to face it was really positive, so I’m pleased.

“The stadium, the crowd, the opponent — I’m very proud of my team.”

He also took a moment to acknowledge the supporters, expressing appreciation for their continued backing.

“Thank you very much. Maybe sometimes I am shy to approach, but I want to use these moments to say thank you. I really appreciate the effort, support and love you bring to the process.”

Reflecting on the squad’s performance, Maestre pointed to the impact of preparation and depth within the team.

“I think this is the result of the way we are training. Rotations are common in football, and with the depth in our squad, it’s about understanding that everyone is ready to push hard in these kinds of games.”

And on the late equaliser, he emphasised the team’s persistence and belief.

“We’ve been pushing hard every day, and today we managed to get the result with that equalising moment.”

Enjoyed today?

Join us at the CopperJax Community Stadium for our final two home games of the season with our Final Two Bundle.

Be there as we close out the campaign together.

FINAL TWO BUNDLE