Chelsea’s Arsenal hoodoo continued as the Gunners shot down the Blues for the third time this campaign at Imber Court on Thursday Second-half strikes from Katie Chapmen and Kim Little proved enough to edge a tight contest and send the visitors into a head-to-head with Everton for the Championship.

The Blues, meanwhile, can console themselves with the knowledge that they have made giant strides this season and will hope to emulate the big two next time around.

With chances at a premium throughout the match, the unmarked Jayne Ludlow should have put Arsenal in front on 13 minutes, only to head over Siobhan Chamberlain’s bar from a matter of yards.

Danni Buet then cleared off the line after the ball ricocheted around the Chelsea box and Chamberlain gathered as the ball was fired back in.

In contrast, the Blues had little to show for all their first half tenacity.

Their best chance of the period fell to Sarah Kempson, who, after good work by Laura Cooper, wriggled through the Arsenal defence, but her shot flew well wide of Emma Byrne’s post.

With Dunia Susi on as an extra striker at the break, the Blues started the second half in determined fashion.

Emma Whitter shrugged off the attentions of Gilly Flaherty, only for the Arsenal defender to pressure her into blasting wide, and Flaherty again denied Whitter moments later with a last-ditch goal line clearance.

But it was the visitors who took heart from the close call.

Gemma Davidson almost embarrassed Chamberlain with a shot that the Blues’ keeper recovered at the second attempt, and the same player was thwarted moments later by Shelby Hills’ superb tackle as the Gunner shaped to shoot. The visitors finally broke through on 74 minutes.

Katie Chapman was the lucky recipient of a deflected pass and after cutting across the Blues’ back line, she made no mistake from the edge of the box.

With their noses in front, a solid Arsenal defence kept the Blues comfortably at bay, and with just a minute of normal time remaining, the Gunners put the result beyond doubt.

Ludlow found Kim Little as the Chelsea defence tired and she gleefully drove the ball past Chamberlain to set up a nail-biting climax in Merseyside.

Chelsea: Chamberlain, Stoney, Perry, Davies, Buet (Susi 46), Sanderson, Cooper, Whitter, Hills, Kempson (Jane 86), Giddings.

Subs not used: Morphitis, Vickery, Morris.