Liverpool's Ceri Holland (left) and Chelsea's Aggie Beever-Jones battle for the ball during the Barclays Women's Super League match at St Helens Stadium, Liverpoo (Image: Peter Byrne/ PA)
Liverpool's Ceri Holland (left) and Chelsea's Aggie Beever-Jones battle for the ball during the Barclays Women's Super League match at St Helens Stadium, Liverpoo (Image: Peter Byrne/ PA)
Chelsea Women are starting to slip in the league following their second 1-1 away draw on the trot, writes Jane Grove.
The problem for the Blues is the size of the Women’s Super League.
With only a dozen teams, there are fewer chances to make up lost ground than in, say, the 20-team Premier League.
Manager Sonia Bompastor tried everything to beat Liverpool in the second half of the weekend’s match, using all five possible subs to mix things up.
But the team rock bottom of the table held on for a valuable point against the champions.
It had started brightly for the Blues, with a wonderful curling goal flying into the net from Alyssa Thompson’s boot nine minutes in.
But Livia Peng, deputising between the sticks for Hannah Hampton, who will be out injured until Christmas, lost a one-on-one duel with the Reds’ Beata Olsson, and 1-1 it stayed, with Liverpool finishing the stronger.
While the previous week’s draw against Arsenal was predictable, the draw at lowly Liverpool was a surprise.
There is a three-point gap at the top of the table between leaders Man City and Chelsea, with the royal blue and sky blue clash at the Etihad Stadium in February now looking like it could be the season’s pivotal domestic match.
Chelsea were hosting Barcelona Women in the Champions League at the Bridge in midweek, before the next international break, but the Blues were still able to celebrate their 34th unbeaten game in a row; a WSL record.
And Millie Bright, on her 211th appearance, overtook Jordan Nobbs to top the all-time WSL list.
Bright was the defender trying, but failing, to chase down Olsson to deny Liverpool an equaliser on Sunday… however it’s her leadership and dependability at the back that Bompastor relies on, rather than her pace, and the club has no plans to end her long Chelsea association.