**Chelsea** substitute **Melvine Malard** scored within ten minutes of coming onto the pitch, securing three points against **Birmingham City**.
Twenty-year-old English midfielder **Lexi Potter** opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a powerful strike, after **Ellie Carpenter** crossed from the right.
As it happened
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With **Lauren James** unavailable and no obvious number nine, Chelsea created numerous chances but struggled to convert them. In the 20th minute, **Sandy Baltimore** and **Alyssa Thompson** combined with fluid short passing on the edge of the box. Thompson then drove a shot in from the right, but it looped just over the crossbar.
Chances continued to come. In the 31st minute, Carpenter's shot across the box was on target but lacked the power to beat **Sophie Baggaley**. Three minutes later, Thompson's cross found **Sjoeke Nüsken**, whose header hit the crossbar. In the 38th minute, Weike Kaptein collected the ball and passed to Carpenter, whose cross reached Thompson, but her shot went straight at Baggaley, who pushed it out for a corner.
Birmingham City hit back just before half-time with a powerful long-range effort from **Oceane Hurtre**, but it was straight at **Hannah Hampton**.
Carpenter and Baltimore were Chelsea's creative outlets and the source of most opportunities. Playing higher up the pitch as wingbacks, they drove forward with pace and sent crosses into the box but to no avail.
As the missed chances mounted, Chelsea grew increasingly frustrated, and Birmingham were awarded several fouls. Sonia Bompastor was shown a yellow card after Thompson was brought down in the penalty area by **Neve Herron**, but no foul was given.
Birmingham then put together a run of chances, and it seemed the game could turn into a repeat of the Aston Villa match. In the 58th minute, **Lily Crosthwaite** sent a searching ball to **Wilma Leidhammar**, but Hampton got her gloves to it.
Melvine Malard came on in the 62nd minute for Baltimore, having been out injured since the 5-2 win against Real Sociedad in pre-season.
Birmingham appeared to be edging closer. They drove into the box, and **Suzu Amano** turned on her heel to shoot, but Hampton pushed the ball away for a corner. A few minutes later, **Asato Miyagawa**'s shot went just wide.
Chelsea then made the breakthrough. **Lucy Bronze** sent a long ball up the pitch, which Thompson headed on. Birmingham captain **Millie Turner** nodded it towards goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley, but Malard got there first and dinked it over her and into the net to secure the win at Stamford Bridge.