Chelsea maintained their impressive performance by defeating Leicester in an exciting match in southwest London. Under the guidance of Emma Hayes, the team quickly took the lead with a goal from Lauren James and an own goal from Courtney Nevin. Leicester’s Jutta Rantala scored one for her team in a high-scoring first half, but both Sam Kerr and Sam Tierney also found the back of the net before halftime. In the second half, James and Aggie Beever-Jones scored two more goals to secure the victory.
The Blues came back to Kingsmeadow after almost a month, with a large group of supporters. They are the reigning champions of the Women’s Super League and are still undefeated in the division. They also defeated Paris FC in Europe on Thursday. The manager of Chelsea has been vocal about player fatigue and made several changes to the lineup. Sophie Ingle, Ève Périsset, Fran Kirby, and Maren Mjelde were brought in to add energy and fresh legs to the team.
They faced a Leicester team that have been enjoying a turnaround in fortunes under Willie Kirk this season. Despite coming into this fixture without a win in five, they have impressed in these early months with their brave, aggressive football and came into this fixture sitting in seventh. The Foxes manager also made a handful of changes from the side that had drawn with Tottenham with Aimee Palmer, Julie Thibaud and Aileen Whelan all starting.
It was a rampant Chelsea who came out of the blocks, any fears of tiredness from their midweek exploits fading fast. Within five minutes of the whistle, they were two goals ahead due to a combination of ruthless forward play and loose defending from the opposition. For the first, James snuck in ahead of Thibaud as Tierney sent a pass backwards. She raced towards the box and made no mistake with the finish past Janina Leitzig.
Soon after, Chelsea struck again, with James showcasing her lightning speed as she charged forward. CJ Bott successfully pressured her to change direction and Leitzig made a good save on the shot, but it deflected off Nevin and ended up in the goal.
The Leicester team showed clear worry when it seemed like they were losing control of the game. Chelsea successfully caused turnovers and easily broke through their defense in the beginning. Kerr assisted James for another chance, but her shot missed wide, and Kirby’s ambitious attempt went over the crossbar.
There was a brief break in the game, which gave the visiting team a chance to regather and get into their groove. Their ability to transition smoothly between plays has been a major strength this season and it was evident as they began to find success. After about 30 minutes of play, they managed to equalize with a skillful midfield move. Lena Petermann dropped back to regain possession and skillfully got past her defender to pass to Rantala. The pass was perfectly placed for the Finnish player to score past Chelsea’s goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger.
The game was tied up by a pivotal goal, followed by a missed chance from Rantala. Despite this, Chelsea remained a threat and stepped up their performance towards the end of the first half. Cuthbert’s goal was disallowed for offside, but Kerr soon increased the hosts’ lead. Charles, who has been performing well this season, showcased her strength by outmuscling Bott on the left side. She then created enough space to deliver a low cross for the unmarked Chelsea forward to score.
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However, Leicester has consistently displayed resilience throughout this season and once again showed their determination just before halftime. Petermann managed to break through Chelsea’s defensive line, causing Berger to recklessly bring her down outside of the penalty box. Palmer, known for her skill in set pieces, stepped up and struck the ball beautifully off the crossbar, with Tierney quick to respond at the near post and bring the deficit closer.
There was a break in the game that gave everyone in the stadium a chance to catch their breath. The second half was not as intense as Chelsea controlled the game. James scored another goal with 30 minutes left to play, followed by Beever-Jones adding a fifth goal as the game neared its end. In the end, Hayes’ team had a comfortable win and maintained their position at the top of the table before the international break.
Source: theguardian.com
