Lauren James' brilliance helped Chelsea boost their chances of qualifying for next season's Women's Champions League in an important 2-0 win over Liverpool on Sunday, the Blues securing all three points at a time when plenty of negative noise has swirled around the club. Disappointing results led to questions being asked of head coach Sonia Bompator and her future, while the departure of head of women's football Paul Green this week caused a real stir. But the players did all they could do on Sunday, seeing off a revitalised Liverpool side thanks to goals from James and Sjoeke Nusken.
This was not a vintage performance from Chelsea. The Reds started brilliantly and their pressing put the Blues under real pressure at times, with Alice Bergstrom even finding the back of the net after just four minutes, only for the goal to be ruled out because she had committed a handball offence before the finish.
Without a clear No.9 in the starting line-up, Chelsea lacked a focal point in attack, with Alyssa Thompson, James and Nusken all hovering around that area where a Sam Kerr or Aggie Beever-Jones would usually be, and that ambition to show fluidity in a set-up with unique quirks and imbalances didn't have the desired effect initially, as the lack of structure instead proved to be an issue.
However, Chelsea still had enough quality in their line-up to create moments and it was James who provided one just before half time, delivering a teasing low cross that Nusken brilliantly tucked away to break the deadlock. She then topped that just past the hour, darting in from the left and firing a wonderful strike from the edge of the box beyond Jennifer Falk to put the result beyond doubt and allow the Blues to open up a four-point gap to fourth-placed Arsenal, whose clash with Brighton was postponed on Sunday.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Kingsmeadow...