For all the pre-match hype, this top-of-the-table tussle was not quite a box-office battle at the Bridge. It had the feel of a game of chess, as two world-class teams tried to problem-solve their way to a statement win, waiting for each other to make the wrong move.
In the end, two late goals in six minutes from Mayra Ramirez and Guro Reiten jolted a cagey contest into life and stretched Sonia Bompastor’s winning streak to seven victories in as many league games as the Blues leapfrogged their title-chasing rivals to the top of the Women’s Super League.
It is still too early to know how this result will influence the title race, but City face a daunting task in trying to wrestle back the trophy they last won eight years ago. This was their chance to lay down a marker against their arch rivals, and they fell wide of the mark.
With the match edging towards a draw, Bompastor let out a scream in the 73rd minute as she stalked the touchline after her side lost possession for the umpteenth time. Barely a minute later, she stood motionless when Ramirez raced onto Maika Hamano’s through ball, shrugged off Alanna Kennedy, turned Alex Greenwood inside out and tucked a fierce low shot into the corner.
The Colombian has a knack of stepping up in the big moments, and her breakthrough contribution injected a fresh energy into her side. By the time Reiten meandered into the penalty area and guided the ball into the back of the net, City knew it was game over.
Stamford Bridge has become Chelsea Women’s fortress in the relatively short time they have graced its pitch – before this match they had a 100 per cent win record from seven games here –but against a City side who ousted European champions Barcelona last month and were unbeaten in the league this season, they faced their sternest test in the Bompastor era.
This contest was studded with mini-duels all over the park. Greenwood and Millie Bright effectively neutralised the league’s two best strikers, Ramirez and Khadija Shaw, for large periods, until the former broke the deadlock.
Shaw, the Jamaican striker, the WSL’s top scorer with seven goals, is becoming quite the A-lister on these shores but, with Usain Bolt watching City’s attacking lynchpin from the stands, she squandered a gilt-edged opportunity to put the visitors ahead when Chelsea left-back Sandy Baltimore knocked a weak pass back towards Hannah Hampton in goal.
Chances were otherwise few and far between in the first half for Gareth Taylor’s side, who sorely missed Lauren Hemp’s pace and directness. The Lioness winger was ruled out with a knee niggle and watched the proceedings alongside England manager Sarina Wiegman.
Her absence became increasingly obvious as Chelsea settled into the contest and showed more attacking enterprise yet were uncharacteristically off-colour in parts. The hosts looked dangerous in their transition play, but lacked their usual clinical edge in front of goal in an ambulant first half which saw Maika Hamano, their nifty Japanese midfielder, sky the ball over after fine work from Johanna Rytting Kaneryd.
Bompastor, with her hands stuffed in her pockets, cut a frustrated figure on the touchline until Ramirez’s opener. She turned round and let out an audible sigh when Hampton blasted a clearance straight out of play and hauled Reiten over for a lengthy chat during mid-half stoppage. It will take a special team to break her side’s 100 per cent start.
