Chloe Kelly was trying her best to get the last laugh against Manchester City, as she cheekily replied to the taunts of a fan account with a photo of her celebrating Arsenal's Champions League victory last summer. Kelly had come off the bench to level the scores against her previous employers on Saturday, but her dreams were dashed by Iman Beney's late winner, giving City a 3-2 win.
Kelly fires back at scorned City fans
While the bulk of the football world has celebrated Kelly's spectacular turnaround in the past year, the tenor of their split clearly left a sour taste in some City fan's mouths. Eager to rub salt in the wounds, one Sky Blues fan account on X posted a sly dig. Their message read, "What's the score, Chloe?", To which, the 27-year-old responded with an image of her making snow angels in the confetti on the Estadio Jose Alvalade pitch after the Gunners 1-0 win over Barcelona in last May's Champions League final.
AdvertisementSuper-sub performance from Kelly not enough for Arsenal
Kelly has been something of a bit part player for Arsenal so far this season, making three of her WSL appearances from the bench and logging just 126 minutes. Given her heroics over the summer, she's more than capable of making an impact in the closing moments. Again, it looked like she was the hero, when her 83rd minute equaliser appeared to keep the Gunners unbeaten start to the season intact.
Beney's winner was an early hammer blow for Arsenal's title push. After just five games, the Gunners are already five points back on defending champions Chelsea who have quickly taken their perch on top of the WSL table.
GOAL gave Kelly a 6/10 for her performance from the bench, the joint best mark alongside Caitlin Foord. Record signing Olivia Smith scored just 5/10, with her final delivery – arguably Kelly's most valuable asset – questioned.
Inside Kelly's acrimonious split from Man City
The Lionesses star's time in Manchester came to an acrimonious end earlier this year. Kelly struggled for game time with City in the first half of the 2024-25 season, prompting her to make an emotional statement as the January transfer window ticked down, as she said her lack of action was having a negative effect on her mental wellbeing.
Kelly went as far as to allege her employers were planting negative stories about her in the press, while suppressing her ability to pursue the move of her choice.
Her statement read: "So disappointed to find out tonight that people at the club are briefing journalists against me if I am to sign at a club before the window shuts. They've called reporters to assassinate my character and tried to plant negative stories about me in the football media, which are false accusations. Women should look after each other and build each other up… not shoot them down to protect their employers. To those responsible, I am disappointed in this. As stated in my previous statement, I just want to find happiness again."
She was hastily snapped up by the Gunners on loan, before signing with the north London club on a permanent basis in the summer. That move instantly paid off, as Kelly became a key part of the Arsenal side that would go onto win last year's Champions League, setting her up to score crucial goals off the bench in England's defence of their European Championships.
Getty Images SportCan Kelly inspire Arsenal turnaround?
Kelly will be hoping she can re-establish herself in Arsenal's starting XI going forward. Her next opportunity will come as the Gunners start their defence of their European crown against Lyon at the Emirates. That starts a busy run of fixtures for the winger and her teammates, as Arsenal then host Brighton, before travelling to Lisbon to take on Benfica on October 16.