Chelsea overcame their sadness in the FA Cup semi-finals to defeat Aston Villa 3-0 and reclaim first place in the Women’s Super League, overtaking Manchester City.
Aggie Beever-Jones scored the opening goal, while Maika Hamano and Kadeisha Buchanan scored their first Chelsea goals, as Chelsea defeated 10-man Villa after goalkeeper Anna Leat was sent off five minutes in for handling the ball outside her area.
Carla Ward had encouraged Chelsea not to let their heads drop following their Cup loss to Manchester United on Sunday. “A wounded animal is a dangerous animal,” she stated.
There were seven changes to the team that suffered the 2-1 loss, as Hayes attempted to shore things up ahead of Saturday’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Barcelona.
Lauren James was absent from the squad entirely with a foot injury, while Eve Périsset, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Melanie Leupolz, Erin Cuthbert, Guro Reiten and Mayra Ramírez all dropped to the bench, with Ashley Lawrence, Sophie Ingle, Sjoeke Nüsken, Hamano, Fran Kirby, Beever-Jones and Catarina Macário all brought in.
For Aston Villa, there were three changes to the side that earned a 1-1 draw with Leicester before the international break. Alisha Lehmann and Adriana Leon were on the bench and Simone Magill, Miri Taylor and Sarah Mayling all starting.
With illness having hit the side before kick-off, meaning Danielle Turner was a late omission, and only six substitutes on the bench, Villa were already climbing uphill against the team they have lost all seven meetings with during Ward’s tenure.
Depleted, Ward started Rachel Daly at left wing-back rather than centre-forward, and their personnel woes were extended by an early error from goalkeeper Leat that reduced them to 10 players.
A hugely underhit backpass from defender Rachel Corsie was latched on to by Nüsken who skated forward only to have her shot saved by the hands of Leat well outside the area. The keeper was sent off and Ebony Salmon made way for Villa’s only substitute keeper, the 17-year-old Sophia Poor – their first-choice keeper Daphne van Domselaar is already out for the season.
Despite Chelsea’s rotation, the home team predictably dominated and were rewarded for their efforts against Villa’s 10 players on 18 minutes, with Niamh Charles’s cross from the left falling behind Beever-Jones who acrobatically swept in on the volley.
Lawrence caused havoc on the right and pinged in a cross that was touched on by Macário’s heel and turned in by Hamano, who beat Mayling to score her first Blues goal.
The visiting side was concerned in the 51st minute when Poor required treatment for what appeared to be a calf ailment, but once strapped up, the rookie goalkeeper was able to continue.
Chelsea’s third came 13 minutes later, when Macário’s corner was struck by Anna Patten’s head but rebounded off Buchanan and into the net.
Poor continued to struggle as Chelsea pressed on, falling twice more and needed additional treatment late on, but she clung on valiantly to the end.
Chelsea failed to add.
Chelsea failed to add to their tally and build up a more comfortable goal difference lead over City. That may prove disappointing given Villa’s reduced number, but three goals was enough to give them a two goal cushion over their closest rivals and keep the title race on a knife-edge.
