Newly promoted Crystal Palace took on the current title-holders Chelsea for
their first ever Women’s Super League home game at Selhurst Park, where the
visitors scored six second-half goals in a ruthless 7-0 win to pick up the three
points.
An early chance for the visitors came in the opening minute. Bronze began a run
down the wing to begin the attack. Erin Cuthbert’s ball reaches Lauren James, but
her shot is collected by Shae Yañez.
The liveliness continued in the first few minutes with Palace having a chance with
Katie Stengel’s cross travelling just wide of the far post, Aggie Beever-Jones aimed
for goal leading to a scramble in the box from the Palace defence denied Chelsea
from taking the lead and Lauren James hit a long range strike over the bar.
The hosts then had another opportunity to attack against the run of play where
Indiah-Paige Riley took possession of the ball from a ball forwards from Chelsea’s
Hampton. Her first touch was headed towards goal which forced the visitor’s
shotstopper into a brilliant save to deny Palace from opening the scoring.
Just two minutes later, the West London side sprung down the other end of the
pitch. Ashley Lawrence cut the ball back for James, after a lovely cross-field ball
found the former, but her effort was hit just wide of the far post.
The South London side the had a chance to take the lead four minutes later, but
Mille Gejl couldn’t quite keep hold of the ball. On the counterattack is when the Blues
broke the deadlock. Sjoeke Nüsken was the one to win possession back for Chelsea
who set up Rytting Kaneryd to surge down the right flank. The midfielder cut the ball
back for the young star, Beever-Jones, to send it home for Chelsea to open the
scoring.
In the moments leading up to the break, Palace searched for the equalizer. Katie
Stengel made her way through the middle of the pitch but hesitated to shoot. When it
seemed like the moment of play had fizzled out, Gejl sent a low ball across goal
which was flicked wide by Annabel Blanchard.
Stengel was then found when she was free in the box but the flag was raised for
offside. However, Hampton was there anyway to deny Palace equalizing, sending
Chelsea into the lead with a 1-0 lead.
Half- Time: Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea
Just three minutes after the break, Bronze was there to double Chelsea’s lead. Her
long range rocket came from the edge of the box and tucked itself into the net and
past Yañez, for the defender to score her first goal in Chelsea colours.
Just over 10 minutes later, the visitors extended their lead via Lauren James. Down
the right channel, Beever-Jones sent the ball to Mayra Ramírez after beating
Gibbons. The low cross from Ramírez was drilled across the face of the net and
tapped home from a yard out to make it three for Chelsea.
For Palace, Blanchard’s low cross is collected by Hampton and for the opposition,
Lawrence’s hit is struck over the bar in the space of a couple of minutes.
Another chance for the Eagles came shortly after. Stengel’s attempt is sent wide of
the target after Woodham burst down Palace’s left to give a nice delivery to set up
the shot.
Palace then had e a set of chances beginning with Woodham crossing to Stengel
who’s effort was steered narrowly wide of the post. Next, Green was played through
down the right flank, who aimed for Stengel, but the cross evaded the striker.
Although, the offside flag was up to deny them a chance at the target.
Just two minutes after Chelsea’s stopper, Hampton, denied Palace from grabbing
one back yet again, Guro Reiten is the one to make it four for the away team. A
smooth combination of passes ended up at the feet of midfielder to fire home the
next goal 74 minutes in.
Less than five minutes later, the fifth came for Chelsea. A corner was bundled into
the back of the net by Nathalie Björn to further extend the Blues’ lead.
With just 5 minutes of the 90 left, Chelsea continued their attacking spell. A cross
into the box from James is met by Reiten who couldn’t quite convert it before another
cross from the former is met by the hands of Palace’s Yañez to deny a sixth.
However, in the 89 th minute, Reiten grabbed her second and Chelsea’s sixth of the
match. Sandy Baltimore cleverly paved her way into the area to deliver the ball to the
midfielder, to slot it home from a close range.
In the dying minutes of added time, Catarina Macario adds to the visitors’ lead. As
the clock hit 90+5, a save from Yañez rebounded to the feet of Macario for Chelsea’s
7 th to be tapped in, to round off the scoring and the game.
This ruthless second half performance lead Chelsea to take home the three points
back to West London.
Full-Time: Crystal Palace 0-7 Chelsea
Lineups:
Crystal Palace XI: Yañez (GK), Veje, Gibbons, Cato, Everett (C), Blanchard
(Weerden 90+1’), Green (Larkin 79’), Riley (Sharpe 53’), Gejl, Woodham, Stengel
(Pritchard 90+1’)
Unused Substitutes: Majasaari, Arthur, Atkinson
Booked: Blanchard 3’
Chelsea XI: Hampton (GK), Bright (C), Nüsken (Macario 71’), Cuthbert (Kaptein
54’), James, Reiten, Lawrence (Baltimore 64’), Björn, Rytting Kaneryd (Ramírez 54’),
Bronze (Périsset 64’), Beever-Jones
Unused Substitutes: Mušović, Buchanan, Mpomé, Hamano
Booked: James 14’
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