It can be dangerous to make educated guesses this early on in the title race, but it would be unwise to bet against Chelsea, who rose above a spot of dubious officiating to dispatch Tottenham with relative ease and continue their winning start to the season.
When the hosts took an early lead through Maika Hamano, their lively Japan international, Spurs looked poised for a long evening. It turned out to be one, after three second half goals – including a wonder volley from Johanna Rytting Kaneryd – melted away the injustice the home side had felt after conceding a controversial score before the break.
When Tottenham defender Amanda Nilden, meandering forward with no real purpose, launched a deceivingly long range cross-cum-shot from 35 yards out, it found its way looping towards the Chelsea goal. Hannah Hampton was standing off centre but shuffled across to parry the ball down before safely gathering it in both gloves. Or so she thought.
The Chelsea goalkeeper was left in utter disbelief when referee Emily Heaslip glanced across at her linesman – who was positioned a lengthy distance away – signalled for the goal to be given. Hampton raced out of the area, protesting wildly and trying her best to articulate that the ball had not crossed the white paint. She received a yellow card for her efforts.
With England facing Germany at Wembley on Friday – and with Mary Earps enduring a tough start to life at PSG – Hampton would have hoped for an unblemished copybook as she looks to target the Lionesses’ No 1 shirt. Replays suggested she was hard done by. On the balance of probability, the ball did not cross the line, even if it bounced up rather awkwardly due to some fortuitous topspin.
WSL’s great VAR debate resurfaces
Given the increasingly fine margins in this increasingly competitive league, the incident will no doubt reignite the longstanding debate over whether it is time to introduce VAR – or goal line technology as a bare minimum – in the women’s top flight. The officiating trio were roundly booed by the Kingsmeadow crowd as they marched down the tunnel at the break, by which time Chelsea had retaken the lead.
It turned out to be an eventful night for Nilden, who was at fault for Chelsea’s opener after 10 minutes and directed Guro Reiten’s corner into her own net on the cusp of half time. With the hosts pressing high from the off, the Swede was ambushed down the right by her compatriot Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, who dribbled into the danger area before clipping a pass inside to the waiting Hamano.
Reiten, a key pawn in Chelsea’s transition play, was also a menace and proved a handful for Tottenham’s Ashleigh Neville. She watched her shot drift wide of the post after the break in a fragmented contest in which Rytting Kaneryd, Chelsea’s outstanding forward, shone.
In what was an early contender for goal of the season, she raced onto Millie Bright’s floating cross and watched her venomous volley ripple the back of the net.
Moments later, the Swede teased a penalty out of the hosts after tiptoeing down her flank, before her cross struck Clare Hunt on the arm. Reiten stepped up from the spot but her effort clipped the woodwork, but Sandy Baltimore reacted quickest to drill the ball low into the net.
Evaliina Summanen pulled one back for the visitors after executing a free-kick down the other end, but Rytting Kaneryd struck again at the death to ensure Chelsea had the last word. She is fast becoming Chelsea’s most valuable player in this new era under Sonia Bompastor, who becomes only the third manager to win her first four WSL matches in charge.
