Under a new head coach in Andrée Jeglertz and a squad with few but significant changes, you have to wonder whether Manchester City are the big challengers to Chelsea’s Women’s Super League dominance this season. Facing the defending champions at the Bridge was the challenge they needed to show if that’s really the case.
They started out strong, boosted by Bunny Shaw’s return to full fitness after missing the final stretch of last season including three of those four consecutive — and season-defining — matches versus the Blues. She almost got herself a goal only three minutes into the match, before Chelsea finally found their groove and began dominating the pitch.
Several chances went begging, including a Sandi Baltimore shot inside the box that required a superb Ayaka Yamashita save not to go in. We only needed to push a little further to finally get our first goal of the season, courtesy of Aggie Beever-Jones on an assist from new signing, Ellie Carpenter.
Shaw and Alex Greenwood nearly equalised after ABJ’s effort, the latter hitting the crossbar in a free kick attempt. But luck wasn’t on their side in the first half, and they would return to the dressing room behind the hosts in the scoreboard.
One persistent issue with Chelsea under Sonia Bompastor last season was choosing a bit too early to sit on a lead and let the opposition try their hand at beating us. It worked superbly for the team that finished the season unbeaten across all domestic matches. But it was still an unnerving approach, which we again took as we came back to the pitch from half-time.
We were still in luck, while City was having none of it. Hannah Hampton’s efforts also helped keeping us in that thin lead, as the visitors consistently targeted Bunny Shaw in attempts to create as many chances to her as possible.
The barrage of shots and saves from Hampton would lead one to believe City were about to score midway into the second half of the match. However all it took was a minor defensive slip for Chelsea to add a second goal to the scoreline via Maika Hamano.
Now a 2-0 lead left us a tad more comfortable. Perhaps too comfortable since City would pull one back with against us with a Niamh Charles own goal a few minutes after Hamano’s goal.
The Blues remained too nervous to keep the ball for more than a half-minute on their feet, while City kept pushing for the equaliser. But late injuries to Greenwood and Lily Murphy took momentum off the visitors.
* Ellie Carpenter already starting for the Blues.
* Classic effort from Aggie Beever-Jones to score our first of the season, with a great assist from the new signing.
* Look at Kaptein and Hamano go!
* Bunny Shaw, still as annoying as an opposing striker can be.
* Next up: Aston Villa away in the Women’s Super League.
* KTBFFH!
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