Bompastor keeps winning: Five things we learned from Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Manchester United
Chelsea extend their lead at the top of the WSL table to five points with a hard-fought 1-0 win against Manchester United.
Guro Reiten scored the only goal of the game with a well-taken penalty in the 17th minute after Mayra Ramirez was brought down in the box by Man United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce.
There was not much to separate the two sides, but Chelsea’s experience and defensive solidity ensured that the Blues extended their impressive winning streak to 12 games.
Here are five things we learned from the game:
Daylight at the top
Chelsea continued their perfect start to the season and have opened up a five-point gap with title contenders Manchester City. The reigning champions lost to Arsenal, Liverpool, and Man City last season, while this season they have already beaten all three of those sides. Given that the Blues trailed City for the majority of last season and only won the league on goal difference, Sonia Bompastor will be pleased to see some daylight between the two sides eight games in.
Reiten can’t stop scoring
Reiten’s penalty was her sixth goal of the season, making her Chelsea’s top scorer. Only Manchester City’s Bunny Shaw has scored more goals in the league than the Norwegian, with seven goals. The Blues attacker, most renowned for assisting her teammates with her wand of a left foot, is yet to register an assist in the WSL this season in her new role under Bompastor. However, this has not affected her productivity in the attacking third, with the 30-year-old turning from provider to goalscorer this season.
Bompastor already emulating Hayes
Succeeding Emma Hayes seemed like an impossible task, but Bompastor has had a dream start to life at Chelsea. The new Blues manager has won each of her first 12 games in charge of Chelsea, already matching Emma Hayes’ longest winning streak for the club. She will have the chance to break that record and write her name in Chelsea history when the Blues take on Brighton following the upcoming international break.
Time up for Skinner?
Although Man United were unbeaten in the league going into this game, their recent form has been underwhelming, drawing three of their last four games. Manager Marc Skinner was already under scrutiny by United fans for their slow start to the season, and one can imagine that this loss against Chelsea will only add to that pressure. With the international break forthcoming, it will be interesting to see whether there is a change in the dugout for the Red Devils.
Life without Kadeisha Buchanan
It was announced last week that Canadian international Kadeisha Buchanan had suffered an unfortunate season-ending ACL injury. The 29-year-old centre0-back had been Chelsea’s best defender this season and will be a big miss for the Blues going forward. However, Bompastor’s side seem to be coping just fine, keeping three consecutive clean sheets in a row for the first time this season. The pairing of captain Millie Bright and Nathalie Bjorn was often the preferred centre-back partnership last season under Hayes, and the duo will be heavily relied upon this season if Chelsea are to win any silverware.
