BRAZIL ace Kerolin’s hat-trick against Chelsea sent Manchester City 11 points clear at the top of the WSL, reports Olivia Clark from Etihad Stadium.
It was a pivotal weekend in the Women’s Super League as City welcomed WSL champions Chelsea to the northwest for what would be a seminal game for the title race.
The Blues had lost only one of their last eight games against the Citizens prior to this fixture, so the odds were in their favour. After winning in their League Cup meeting last month, it seemed as though they had the upper hand in this fixture.
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However, City, having won their last 12 league games, proved they could continue this streak as they cruised to 5-1 victory to almost certainly win the league.
Manchester City captain Alex Greenwood described the fixture as a ‘huge test’ as they faced a team of Chelsea’s quality, but the Citizens’ proved they were up for the challenge.
The first half opened with Chelsea controlling possession, but City’s press prevented them from turning it into clear chances. City did threaten first through Lauren Hemp, but her early cross lacked accuracy.
The best teams can play different kinds of games
Lauren James was influential for Chelsea, repeatedly breaking free and creating attacking opportunities. Alyssa Thompson showed high energy on the pitch, consistently forcing City into backward passes.
However, City’s forward line, led by Jamaican star Bunny Shaw, posed a constant threat in transition. Shaw’s pace earned City a free kick just outside the penalty box, however, Greenwood’s effort was comfortably blocked by the Blues defence.
In the 13th minute, Kerolin put the hosts 1-0 up through a powerful strike into the bottom left corner of the net, just outside Hannah Hampton’s reach.
Chelsea tried to hit back straight away, briefly thinking they had levelled through a Wieke Kaptein header before an offside call cut the celebrations short. They continued to push, with Erin Cuthbert and Keira Walsh testing Ayaka Yamashita, who held firm under pressure.
Sandy Baltimore delivered strong crosses, but her efforts continued to be deflected to maintain the Citizens’ lead. Despite Chelsea recording triple the number of shots City had by the 32nd minute, the Blues struggled to find a breakthrough.
City remained clinical and Bunny Shaw doubled their lead ten minutes before half time with a composed finish, putting them in a strong position. This goal means Shaw now has 107 goals in 125 appearances for her club, and a 14 goals this season alone.
Moments later, Vivianne Miedema had a big chance, passing the ball to Kerolin who attempted to score via an audacious back-heel that drifted wide.
Chelsea’s defence began to flake towards the end of the first half as they failed to clear their lines, though Hampton reacted quickly to deny City from a 43rd minute corner.
The half ultimately closed with both sides having created enough chances to stay competitive, but with City carrying the sharper edge in both penalty areas. Chelsea’s pressure and shot volume kept the contest alive, yet City’s composure, organisation and finishing ensured they went into the break firmly in control at 2–0.
The Etihad carried high energy as the first half drew to a close, with City supporters sensing the magnitude of the occasion while Chelsea’s travelling fans continued to urge their side on.
The home side wasted no time extending their advantage after the break, with Kerolin carrying the ball from the halfway line, chipping it straight over Hampton and into the net to make it 3-0 in the 49th minute.
Just five minutes later Kerolin completed her hat-trick with a finish into the bottom right corner, effectively sealing the contest before the hour mark and earning herself player of the match.
Nevertheless, Chelsea fought back and a cross from Alyssa Thompson was on target but was saved by Yamashita to maintain her clean sheet. At the other end, Millie Bright produced a vital intervention to deny Shaw after a sharp pass from Miedema.
City then brought Aoba Fujino on, making her return from injury, and handed a debut to Sam Coffey following her record-breaking £650,000 transfer.
Thompson eventually pulled one back for Chelsea in the 68th minute through a goal in the bottom left corner for the deserving forward, yet City remained on the attack with a corner just minutes later delivered by Kerstin Casparij to result in a fifth goal netted by Miedema.
City’s Grace Clinton saw a shot deflected, and Fujino later forced a save before being withdrawn after a heavy fall. Deep into added time, City came agonisingly close to a sixth, only for Chelsea to clear off the line, and the Blues’ final effort of the match was comfortably saved.
City now go 11 points clear at the top of the table, tightening their grip on the title race as the league enters its decisive stretch.
City manager Andrée Jeglertz praised his side’s adaptability after the win, emphasising that “the best teams can play different kinds of games.”
While pleased with the strong start and the team’s defensive abilities, he admitted they struggled a little with compactness in their own half and must handle periods of opposition control more effectively.
Jeglertz drew attention to new signing Coffey, who he described as calm on the ball yet simultaneously brings extra energy to the team. But it was Kerolin who he reserved special praise for, stating he is “happy for us to have that kind of player.”
Reflecting on the scoreline, he said City found ways to dominate whether they had the ball or not and credited the squad’s growing confidence.
The tone was less positive for Sonia Bompastor, whose side experienced their first back-to-back loss since July 2015. The Chelsea manager admitted the heavy defeat made it “difficult to talk about the title race,” and stressed the importance of focusing on themselves as a team, rather than the table.
We made too many mistakes and got punished
She acknowledged the result was painful but insisted there were clear reasons behind it, pointing to a squad that differs significantly from last season, ongoing injuries, and players still adapting to new roles and profiles.
Reflecting on where the match slipped away, she highlighted the early goal and City’s superior efficiency, concluding that Chelsea “made too many mistakes” and “got punished” for them.
Meanwhile scores across the rest of the league were similar this week, with three games ending 2-1. Those games saw victories for Tottenham, London City Lionesses and Everton. Man United beat Liverpool 3-1, boosting United to just one point ahead of Chelsea.
With Arsenal still to play this week’s fixture against Leicester, a win would see them move to second in the league. The games brought little movement at the bottom end of the table, where Liverpool remain in twelfth.
Next week Chelsea will no doubt be looking to end their losing streak as they face Spurs, and Manchester City have yet another important meeting with Arsenal.
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