The Blues responded to our weekend defeat perfectly. A second-half brace from Pernille Harder and a late goal from Fran Kirby ensured we picked up an important victory against the Gunners to put us three points clear at the top of the league table.It was an even contest between the two London sides in the first 45 minutes. However, Chelsea came flying out the blocks for the second half and took total control of the game. Harder’s clinical double came within 10 minutes of the restart, and Chelsea’s top scorer Kirby then netted her 12th goal of the season to put the cherry on the cake.

'Derby wins are great, they really are,’ Hayes said blissfully.

‘The first half we struggled a little in midfield, we started the game well with our press and then we got a little overrun.‘I thought we underhit passes to each other, we didn’t hold the ball up well enough but it was a calm dressing room at half-time.‘There is a lot of quality in there [the dressing room] and once we got the goal in the second half there was only going to be one outcome to be honest.‘It was a brilliant defensive performance from the team, we can talk about Pernille Harder and her goals, she certainly showed the dressing room her quality, as did Fran, but for me the real performance was in the team defending.’

Ahead of the match, Hayes set a challenge for her players to improve on the basics and fundamentals following the setback at home to Brighton on Sunday.The Chelsea boss was pleased with her team’s character and response and said: ‘Everybody knows what the standards are at Chelsea. It’s not always easy to live with internally because the pressure and expectation is relentless but it’s a place for the best to thrive and only the best with the highest standards will keep this dream machine flying. That’s the demand I place and I won’t compromise that.‘To see the response demonstrates where the team wants to go and it’s important to make sure that when you have those standards they are kept by everyone within the group.‘It’s been a great squad effort, the bench came in the game and did their jobs and it’s important that everybody is mindful that they have to do their job all of the time, and we did that well.’

Although Hayes was delighted with the whole team performance, she commented on Kirby’s form and her contribution having assisted both of our Danish international’s goals before getting herself on the scoresheet. A special mention went out to Kirby’s strike-partner Sam Kerr and her work-rate, too.‘She [Kirby] got cramp at the halfway line as she was in on goal and she ran all the way through with cramp in her calf.‘It’s unbelievable really, she just willed herself on into a great position, she just took the ball across the goalkeeper and slotted it in, what a performance from Fran.‘I don’t think there are any words to tribute how influential she is on the pitch for our play and importantly off it.‘I mean this sincerely, she is a driver in this environment, if all of the players could demonstrate her training habits every day, we’d be even further ahead.‘She is 100 per cent every day, making sure she is the best on the training pitch and I have several players that do that but Fran this year on a training capacity has been unplayable.‘Sam ran her socks off, she had to do so much work defensively. Her and Fran had to do so much and I thought she was such a great outlet on the counter and we positioned them to be dynamic.‘Sam, P [Pernille] and Fran were unbelievable. Sam came off that pitch with not much left in the tank because she gave everything tonight.’Chelsea have one more game before the international break which is away to Bristol City in the league on Sunday. The match is the rearranged game from January that was postponed due to the snow and it will kick off at 3pm. You can watch this fixture on the FA Player.