Chelsea return to WSL summit with 2-0 win over title rivals Man City
For 75 minutes, it looked like nothing could separate the two Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) heavyweight favourites.
Both Chelsea and Manchester City showed why they were the teams to beat as they delivered a spectacle of quality football in front of 19,499 fans at Stamford Bridge.
But it was Chelsea who showed their big-game experience as the five-time defending champions beat City 2-0 in a lethal four-minute spell.
It meant Chelsea leapfrogged City, handed their first league defeat, to lead the WSL by two points with a game in hand after eight matches.
While many pundits and fans tipped big-spending City as the team to finally topple Chelsea’s stranglehold on the WSL crown, they failed to rise to the occasion despite picking up six wins and a draw to start the season.
Shrugging off City’s defenders on the counter attack, Chelsea’s Colombian forward Mayra Ramirez fired Chelsea in front in the 75th minute.
But there was controversy in the build-up, as Ramirez appeared to have fouled City’s Alanna Kennedy with a flick of her arm.
With City’s players still shellshocked, Guro Reiten took full advantage four minutes later with a superb left-footed curler to seal an all-important three points.
Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor, who has now won all of her first 10 games in charge, said: “It’s not me, it’s all about the players. I’m really proud of my players, I think they had a great performance.
“But even though it is a really good start which brings us a lot of confidence, the reality is we haven’t won anything yet.
“We need to keep up our standards and if everyone thinks we are the team to beat that’s fine for us. I love to embrace the pressure.
“I just wanted to enjoy today because you don’t get that much opportunities to have this great environment playing against one of the best teams in Europe.”
The big news prior to kick-off was the absence of Man City’s Lauren Hemp. The England international, who has scored two league goals and provided five assists, missed out with a knee issue; joining long-term absentee Vivianne Miedema on the sidelines.
In a positive move for women’s football, all 11 games across the WSL and Women’s Championship this weekend will be played at the home team’s main stadiums.
Roared on by their boisterous home crowd, Chelsea started on the front foot.
Inside the first 15 minutes, Millie Bright and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd had their efforts well saved by City goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita.
The pressure of such a pivotal contest was fully on display with both goalkeepers having their nervy moments.
Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton was forced to clear the ball into touch while Yamashita’s misplaced pass did not lead into a chance.
In a game of fine margins, both teams were cautious in possession knowing one mistake could lead to a colossal six-point swing.
City got their golden opportunity in the 22nd minute.
Sandy Baltimore played a tame back pass towards Hampton that fell into the path of WSL top scorer Khadija Shaw.
With the 1.82m-tall Jamaican forward bearing down on goal, the crowd at Stamford Bridge held their breaths.
But Shaw dragged her effort wide much to the relief of Baltimore, who held her hands up in apology.
Just before the interval, Shaw came close again but directed her header from a corner narrowly wide of the post.
The home side returned stronger after the break and Erin Cuthbert very nearly broke the deadlock in the 58thminute.
Shimmying to her left and right, Cuthbert found space for a left-footed shot that trickled past the wrong side of the post.
City then had a penalty appeal denied, after Shaw appeared to have been hauled down by Ramirez during a corner.
The away side were appealing again after Ramirez’s goal in the 75th minute.
Receiving a through ball from Maika Hamano, Ramirez was surrounded by both Kennedy and Alex Greenwood.
As Ramirez strode towards goal, she brushed Kennedy with her trailing arm before calmly slotting past Yamashita.
City never recovered from the setback as Chelsea continued piling on waves of attack.
Norwegian attacker Guro Reiten then put the seal on three points in the 79th minute with a superb curling effort.
A bitterly disappointed City manager Gareth Taylor said: “It was a game of errors. Opportunities came from mistakes from both teams.
“In the first half, they made more than us and we weren’t able to capitalise. The game looked like it was going to a nil-nil and it slipped away from us.
“I can’t control what Chelsea are going to do next but we are still up and around the top of the league.”
In her post-match press conference, Bompastor revealed defender Kadeisha Buchanan had suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in last week’s 3-0 victory over Liverpool.
Despite the win, Bompastor believes there is room for improvement.
She added: “I think we did a good job out of possession but not enough in possession of the ball. We need to be more brave and confident when we have the ball.
“I feel a perfect start gives us a lot of confidence but we still have a lot of work to be done.
“We only played 10 games this season. We have plenty of top games coming up in the Champions League and the Cups are coming soon. So, it will be difficult.”
