Chelsea 3-1 West Ham United: Defending champions surmount FA Cup comeback to survive first test without Sam Kerr
Erin Cuthbert completed Chelsea’s comeback in extra-time to keep the defending champions in contention for the FA Cup following a 3-1 win against West Ham United at Kingsmeadow in the Fourth Round.
In Chelsea’s first test following the winter break without the services of Sam Kerr, the hosts fell to an early deficit. Viviane Asseyi broke the deadlock with a driven effort into the bottom corner.
The Blues had to wait for the entrance of Mia Fishel to find an equaliser but the forward made no mistake to fire past Mackenzie Arnold on 70 minutes. Cuthbert completed the comeback with a clinical header at the back post in extra time before Aggie Beever-Jones added a third.
In the first game after the winter break, it was a test of Chelsea’s mettle without star striker Sam Kerr. For West Ham, it was the first chance to see their January acquisitions in action as Katrina Gorry and Shelina Zardorsky were handed debuts.
Millie Bright continued to leave a captain-shaped hole in the Chelsea defence while West Ham remained waiting on the fitness of marquee signing Kristie Mewis.
It was not Mia Fishel nor Aggie Beever-Jones that got the call-up to starting action in the absence of Kerr, however.
Rather, Emma Hayes put her faith in the familiar. Lauren James led the line supported by Guro Reiten and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd on either flank.
The new-look front three had their first real opportunity when James benefitted from a turnover high up the pitch in the first half. Running into space, the makeshift centre-forward attempted an audacious lob that failed to dip quickly enough to sneak under the crossbar.
While the hosts had the share of chances and possession, the Hammers struck the first nail.
A searching Mackenzie Arnold goal-kick found Viviane Asseyi to the left of the box on 18 minutes. The forward dispatched a driven shot across the goal, streaking past Zecira Musovic to nestle into the bottom right corner.
The goal awoke a tenacity in the blue side of London that so far had been lacking. Chelsea followed with a spate of chances, Reiten finding joy down the left, before dropping back into the lull that had consumed them prior to the Hammers’ goal.
By 40 minutes, the most joy the Chelsea fans could find was in booing the time it took for Mackenzie Arnold to launch the ball upfield from a goal kick.
It was down to the dynamo in midfield, Fran Kirby, to awaken the stadium. Bursting through the midfield she found Reiten to her left on the edge of the box before the Norwegian’ strike rattled the bar.
Chelsea were lacking that finisher’s magic.
The second half, and any words imparted by Emma Hayes, seemed to have little effect on Chelsea. The Blues were still left looking for a goal and for a talisman to lead them to it. The leadership of Kerr and Bright so evidently missing.
Riko Ueki posed the first real threat after the break, turning Jess Carter in the left corner to charge inside. Her shot was well blocked but West Ham did not look like a team settled on simply defending their lead.
Despite Ashley Lawrence rattling the bar for the Blues in the 54th minute, the eleven could not convince Hayes that they were capable of finishing the job. A triple substitution beckoned for the hosts with recognised forward Fischel among the changes and Nathalie Bjorn on to make her debut.
The finisher that Chelsea had been lacking had entered the field. Mia Fishel took just 10 minutes to find the back of the net following her entrance. Receiving the ball with her back to goal, the forward pivoted before powering home past Arnold to put the hosts level.
The defending champions could not find a way through for the remainder of the 90 minutes as it remained 1-1 as the additional time board was raised with four minutes indicated.
James looked posed to assume the role of hero when she surged into space at the edge of the box in the 94th minute. A sea of blue inching towards the edge of their seats to celebrate the winner but the England star curled her shot just over the bar.
The hosts came knocking in extra time with a series of corners proving worrisome for the hosts but Arnold held firm between the sticks.
It was the aerial threat that did eventually proved West Ham’s undoing. Erin Cuthbert rose to latch onto a cross from the right in the 11th minute of extra time to put the hosts ahead.
Beever-Jones’ entrance just minutes later soon resulted in a third for Chelsea as the forward arrived at the back post to deftly lift the ball over Arnold after 15 minutes of extra time.
The hosts, now with two recognised strikers on the pitch, had customarily proved their strength when it mattered. While Beever-Jones and Fishel had proved just how much they would be needed in Sam Kerr’s absence.
From there, Emma Hayes’ side never looked back. A two-goal cushion, even if it took 30 minutes longer than hoped, sees them through to the next round of the FA Cup and one step closer to defending their crown.
