It was a disappointing WSL home debut for Crystal Palace as they lost 7-0 to reigning champions Chelsea under the lights at Selhurst Park. They were forced into two changes from their opening day defeat to Tottenham, with loanees Lexi Potter and Brooke Aspin (who was also serving a one-match ban) unable to face their parent club. Meanwhile, Chelsea made three changes as Lauren James, Aggie Beever-Jones, and Nathalie Björn all made their first starts of the season.
It was a difficult evening for Laura Kaminski’s team. After a promising first half where they were able to carve out a few good chances, they struggled in the second half with Chelsea’s quality and fitness levels, leading to a second decisive loss in a row.
Embed from Getty ImagesAs it happened
From the get-go the home side seemed very aware of the occasion, looking nervy on the ball. While there was a lack of any real chances, the opening ten minutes saw Palace repeatedly give possession away too easily or not take enough on the ball, but Chelsea failed to capitalise on these mistakes and they gradually grew into the game.
The reigning champions’ quality started to show in the 18th minute as Chelsea’s patient build-up led to Lucy Bronze and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd linking up down the right. After cutting through Josie Green, Kaneryd was on her preferred left foot and hit one straight at Shae Yañez. They managed to sustain this pressure but the home side held on and eventually managed to clear the danger.
This kicked off a crazy five-minute spell where both teams had clear chances to go ahead. Palace found some joy in behind the surging Bronze with Millie Gejl’s pace, but her chance went across the face of Hannah Hampton’s goal.
Embed from Getty ImagesImmediately afterwards, Chelsea hit them on the counter with pace, but James’ effort went easily wide. This was swiftly followed up with some poor defending from a Chelsea corner leaving James open on the edge of the box. Her cross was met with a failed overhead kick from Beever-Jones, followed by a blocked Millie Bright effort.
Despite managing to grow into the half a bit more and defend well at times, Chelsea’s quality shone through in the 38th minute with a goal unsurprisingly from their right hand side. Kaneryd had been causing problems for Fliss Gibbons all night and again she got free and put the ball into the box. Beever-Jones calmly placed it into the bottom right corner to put the Blues one up.
Palace did have a promising chance of their own in the closing moments of the half when they once again got in behind Bronze, however Blanchard’s audacious flicked effort went just wide. Crystal Palace went into half time 1-0 down with Chelsea dominating the chances, but were certainly still in it.
Embed from Getty ImagesHowever, it didn’t take long in the second half for Chelsea to get real control of this game. They doubled their lead with Bronze’s excellent strike from the edge of the box. Palace once again failed to get the ball out from an Ashley Lawrence cross, letting the Lioness hit it first time to send the ball flying into the top corner.
Chelsea put the game to bed just before the hour mark, with Mayra Ramírez immediately making an impact from the bench. She rounded Gibbons with a lovely first touch, leaving her to simply pass the ball across to an open James to tap in. The visitors kept finding joy out wide, as Ashley Lawrence followed up a loose cross with a powerful effort that flew just over.
Crystal Palace refused to give up in front of a passionate home crowd of over 5,000 as they continued to find space with Woodham and Gejl on the left. The former’s ball into the box found Katie Stengel who only just missed the target.
Embed from Getty ImagesUnfortunately, it was too little too late. Chelsea asserted their dominance in the 74th minute as Guro Reiten got her goalscoring campaign underway, finishing off a beautifully fluid move with a powerful shot past Yañez. Chelsea soon added a fifth. Some characteristically poor defending from a corner allowed Nathalie Björn to mark her return to the side with a goal, leaving Chelsea 5-0 up.
Sonia Bompastor’s side capped off the night with two late goals as Reiten got free in the box and finessed her shot past Yañez, who really should’ve done better with it. It was her second and Chelsea’s sixth of the night. In the dying moments, Catarina Macário poked one in to leave the Blues a dominant 7-0 win.
Embed from Getty ImagesBompastor will be delighted with her side’s ruthlessness in front of goal all evening, not letting up and giving her a significant scoreline early on in her Chelsea tenure. For Laura Kaminski, a rough start to life in the WSL continues.
The lineups
CRY: Yañez, Veje, Gibbons, Cato, Everett (C), Blanchard, Green, Riley, Gejl, Woodham, Stengel
CHE: Hampton, Bronze, Bright (C), Björn, Lawrence, Cuthbert, Nüsken, Reiten, James, Beever-Jones
