Erin Cuthbert helped Chelsea take another step towards the Women’s Super League title and bounce back from midweek disappointment with a stoppage-time winner at Manchester City.
City, under interim boss Nick Cushing, inflicted the first defeat of Sonia Bompastor’s reign on Wednesday in the Champions League after Chelsea days earlier had got the better of the same opponents in the League Cup final.
When Kerolin put City ahead midway through the first half on Sunday, back-to-back losses appeared on the cards for Chelsea, but the defending champions showed their mettle to battle back for a 2-1 win, with Aggie Beever-Jones’ 49th-minute equaliser followed by Cuthbert’s last-gasp winner.
WATCH IT! DRINK IT IN! #CFCW pic.twitter.com/Dw9DH01oks
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) March 23, 2025
Chelsea’s 28-match unbeaten start to life under Bompastor ended in midweek when City claimed a 2-0 home win in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at Joie Stadium, and this weekend’s game was instalment number three of four in quick succession between the clubs.
While this fixture was played at Etihad Stadium, it took City only 32 minutes to inflict more woe on the visitors as Nicolo was given too much time on the ball and rolled into the bottom corner.
It remained 1-0 at half-time, but Chelsea returned for the second period improved and soon levelled when Beever-Jones fired home after fine work by Johanna Rytting Kaneryd.
Bompastor’s side were in the ascendency but looked set to fall short of a late winner after Rytting Kaneryd sent a close-range effort wide and Lauren James was thwarted by City goalkeeper Khiara Keating.
Cuthbert had other ideas and produced a superb diving header from Ashley Lawrence’s outstanding cross late on to earn Chelsea a 15th league victory of the campaign.
It restores Chelsea’s eight-point lead at the summit over Arsenal and lifts spirits ahead of Thursday’s European second leg at home to City, who hold a two-goal advantage but have lost further ground in the race for a top-three finish in the WSL this term.
West Ham moved up to eighth after a 2-0 win over London rivals Tottenham.
Viviane Asseyi inspired the victory after she was involved in Josefine Rybrink’s 17th-minute own goal before then sealing the points herself with a goal directly from an inswinging free-kick deep into stoppage time.