Chelsea’s strength in reserve shows as Maren Mjelde strike sinks Liverpool

With Chelsea having gained six points and scored 12 goals from two games, the arrival of Liverpool offered a more taxing challenge, a chance for the Spring Series champions to show just how strong their Women’s Super League title credentials are. They did not disappoint in this misleadingly narrow 1-0 win. In a dominant possession-heavy performance Maren Mjelde scored their sole goal in the 13th minute with a powerful strike from the left into the far corner of Siobhan Chamberlain’s goal.

It was not quite the rout of previous weeks though. With an eye on Wednesday’s trip to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Emma Hayes made six changes to Chelsea’s starting XI. In what was perhaps an indication of her priorities this season, and the strength of her squad, Maria Thorisdottir, Fran Kirby, Hannah Blundell and Drew Spence all dropped to the bench. Ramona Bachmann and Hedvig Lindahl sat out the match altogether after the south London’s side’s impressive 1-0 home win over the German team.

This was Chelsea’s third competitive game at their new Kingsmeadow home – Chelsea purchased the site from AFC Wimbledon as the Dons prepare to move back to their traditional patch. Passengers emerging from Norbiton station are greeted by players’ images on the ticket barriers. A little stream of fans, some in Chelsea kits, trickled to the ground an hour before kick-off, while a clutch of AFC Wimbledon fans milled around the entrance. The benefits of owning the stadium are evident. Chelsea Ladies branding is everywhere and crowd sizes have benefited from the move.

Average WSL1 attendances in the 2016 season were 1,128; on Saturday, 2,116 made the three occupied stands at Kingsmeadow feel like a decidedly healthy attendance. The slickness of Chelsea’s branding is married with a non-league atmosphere. A groundsman wiggles the sprinklers to quickly wet more grass before kick-off, the scoreboard gets stuck on seven minutes (for four minutes), and ballgirls stroll along the edge of the pitch clutching trays of chips smothered in ketchup. It is a relaxed, family atmosphere mingled with the usual deep-voiced Chelsea chants. The accessibility and increased profile of England stars, and the crop of other internationals, post-Euro 2017, are a clear draw to the kids queuing up for signatures.

For Liverpool, a result here was always going to be an uphill task; they had lost their previous five meetings with the Blues. With confidence knocked a little after their 3-0 defeat by Reading, which followed their 2-0 WSL1 season opening win against Everton, coming to south London was a test of character. Scott Rogers made two changes to the XI that lost so comprehensively to Reading, with the Scottish midfielder Caroline Weir relegated to the bench in favour of Kate Longhurst and Beth England ineligible to play as she is on loan from Chelsea.

Yet Liverpool could take a lot of positives from this defeat. It was a backs-to-the-wall performance for almost the entire 90 minutes, with Jess Clarke forced to chase shadows up front against a Chelsea defence that is yet to concede. The brightest chances for Liverpool came from an ever-impressive Alex Greenwood and if they lacked a threat up front, they made up for it at the back. Holding the fearsome Chelsea attack at bay for much of the game, the England goalkeeper Chamberlain was forced into a number of fine saves that kept a turnaround possible.

Chelsea’s midweek players looked a little tired as the clock ticked down but the fresh legs that sat out Wednesday slotted into the side well and caused all sorts of trouble down the wings. The USA forward Crystal Dunn, making her first start this season, ran rings round Laura Coombs on the right, while Karen Carney looked dangerous whenever given the chance to cross from the left or cut in and run at goal.

The Chelsea manager, Hayes, called the win “another great coaching performance” after similar comments following the Bayern victory, and the captain, Katie Chapman, said “it was important to keep concentrated” in a game they dominated so heavily but failed to build on the opening goal. A clean sheet, a win against an outside title contender, and squad players performing when called upon, will be a huge boost for a side already brimming with confidence as they prepare for the trip to Munich.

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Sunday’s action

Arsenal’s frustrating start to the Women’s Super League season continued as they came from behind to salvage a draw against Bristol City.

Lauren Hemp, the England Under-17 captain, opened the scoring before Danielle van de Donk rescued a point for Arsenal, who trail leaders Chelsea by five points after just three matches. Both teams came close to a winner, with Jordan Nobbs and Chloe Arthur striking the woodwork for Arsenal and City respectively.

The Vixens took a surprise lead after half an hour at Meadow Park, after Jessica Samuelsson failed to deal with Millie Turner’s throw-in down the left flank. After seizing possession, Hemp drove inside before unleashing a superb, curling effort at goal and beyond Sari van Veenendaal, the Arsenal goalkeeper.

Five minutes after the interval, Van de Donk pulled Arsenal level. After being afforded time and space inside the box, the Dutch midfielder powered home from an acute angle, past the hapless Sophie Baggaley. Elsewhere, Emily Westwood rescued a point for Birmingham City, who fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Reading, while Sunderland recorded their second victory of the season, with Keira Ramshaw scoring the only goal of the game at Yeovil.