Chelsea bounced again from their shock opening day defeat to Liverpool to safe their maiden WSL victory of the season with a 2-0 win over Manchester Metropolis.
Targets from Fran Kirby and Maren Mjelde both facet of half time noticed Emma Hayes’ facet to victory, leaving Metropolis nonetheless searching for their first factors of the season.
Chelsea began the brighter and nearly opened the scoring inside 30 seconds as Sam Kerr fired the flawed facet of the put up after Guro Reiten had crept in behind the Metropolis backline.
Kerr was then gifted a sighting of objective by a lax Steph Houghton again cross, however the Australian striker opted to cross to Kirby as a substitute of going for objective herself.
It regarded prefer it was a query of when, not if, Chelsea would break the impasse, however Metropolis grew into the sport. Bunny Shaw regarded notably vigorous as the point of interest of the assault, embarking on a mazy run earlier than taking place on the sting of the realm, and seeing an effort deflect simply broad.
Chloe Kelly was denied by a final ditch Maren Mjelde block and Lauren Hemp pressured a near-post save from Ann-Katrin Berger because the guests continued to look harmful in an end-to-end encounter.
Nevertheless it was Chelsea who took the lead on the stroke of half time by way of a terrific workforce transfer. Jessie Fleming obtained the higher of Steph Houghton with a chic shimmy and fed Reiten, who laid the ball into the trail of Kirby to stroke dwelling.
Metropolis nearly bit straight again, Laura Coombs forcing a Berger into a terrific save on the again put up to protect Chelsea’s lead on the break.
The second half was a cagier affair. The spectacular Lauren James bent an effort narrowly broad and drew a powerful save from Ellie Roebuck following a surging run because the Blues looked for a second.
Chelsea did double their lead with 12 minutes remaining, Maren Mjelde dispatching confidently from the penalty spot after Leila Ouahabi had been penalised for handball to place the sport past Metropolis’s attain.
GK: Ann-Katrin Berger – 8/10 – Making her first begin of the season following her thyroid most cancers remedy, made two big saves within the first half to maintain out Hemp and Coombs.
RB: Maren Mjelde – 8/10 – Popped up with an necessary final ditch block to maintain out Kelly within the first half. Did a very good job nullifying the often harmful Hemp and obtained on the scoresheet from the penalty spot.
CB: Millie Vibrant – 6/10 – Made an necessary intervention within the second half to stop Shaw having an effort on objective. Had an actual bodily battle with Shaw.
CB: Kadeisha Buchanan – 6/10 – Introduced the ball out confidently from the again on quite a few events and loved a captivating bodily tussle with Shaw.
LB: Madgalena Eriksson – 6/10 – Examined a bit extra defensively within the latter phases of the primary half as Metropolis grew into the sport, however largely stable as Metropolis’s standard broad menace was stored comparatively quiet.
CM: Erin Cuthbert – 7/10 – Chelsea’s deepest midfielder. Tireless, dogged, energetic and tidy in possession. Mixed nicely with Fleming.
CM: Jessie Fleming – 7/10 – Influential in Chelsea’s opener, getting the higher of Houghton with a terrific piece of ability. Changed simply after the hour.
CAM: Fran Kirby – 8/10 – Despatched Kerr scampering away with nice ball early within the first half. Opened the scoring with a cool end contained in the field and mixed nicely with the entrance three.
RW: Lauren James – 9/10 – So many flashes of genius in tight areas – together with a wonderful step over to provide Houghton the slip within the first half, and driving three challenges on the half approach line earlier than spraying the ball to Reiten. Sheer class.
ST: Sam Kerr – 6/10 – Fired narrowly broad inside 30 seconds. Handed to Kirby when she ought to have gone herself after selecting Houghton’s pocket. Saved quieter within the second half.
LW: Guro Reiten – 7/10 – In behind inside 30 seconds to tee up Kerr, and picked out Kirby for Chelsea’s opener. Actually vigorous and direct inn the primary half, getting the higher of Casparij on a couple of events.
SUB: Sophie Ingle – 6/10
SUB: Eve Perisset – N/A
SUB: Niamh Charles – N/A
SUB: Johanna Rytting Kaneryd – N/A
GK: Ellie Roebuck – 6/10 – Palmed away a harmful, deep cross from Reiten within the second half and made a terrific save to maintain out James. Could not have finished a lot about both objective.
RB: Kerstin Casparij – 6/10 – Making her WSL debut. Acquired overwhelmed by Reiten on a few events and struggled when the Chelsea winger had a go at her. Seemed promising going ahead; despatched Kelly scampering away with a cracking ball within the first half.
CB: Steph Houghton – 5/10 – Lucky to not be punished after her unfastened again cross was picked up by Kerr early within the first half, however overwhelmed all finally ends up by Fleming within the construct as much as Chelsea’s opener – with Sarina Wiegman within the stands.
CB: Alex Greenwood – 6/10 – Usually tidy in possession and stable defensively.
LB: Leila Ouahabi – 5/10 – Making her WSL debut, overwhelmed by the fast toes of James on quite a few events and struggled in opposition to the spectacular Chelsea ahead. Conceded a penalty for handball for Chelsea’s second.
CM: Laia Aleixandri – 6/10 – Tidy in possession, flicked an effort simply the flawed facet of the put up early within the second half. Rising into the deep mendacity midfield function after struggling a bit final week.
CM: Laura Coombs – 6/10 – Had a fizzing strike deflect over following a flowing workforce transfer and noticed an effort stored out by Berger on the stroke of half time.
CM: Deyna Castellanos – 5/10 – Making her maiden WSL begin and regarded vigorous within the ultimate third. Light within the second half.
RW: Chloe Kelly – 6/10 – Fired low at Berger and noticed one other effort stored out by a Mjelde block, having labored the chance herself. Quieter within the second half after being largely starved of service.
ST: Bunny Shaw – 7/10 – Seemed shiny from the off, driving three challenges with a burst ahead deep within the Chelsea half and having an effort narrowly deflect broad within the opening 45. Metropolis’s most harmful participant.
LW: Lauren Hemp – 5/10 – Noticed a close to put up effort saved by Berger having gained possession again herself within the first half however in any other case quiet and never her standard harmful self.
SUB: Hayley Raso – 5/10
SUB: Julie Blakstad – N/A
SUB: Vicky Losada – N/A
