Key events
34 mins: Kaneryd and James link beautifully again with a right-sided one-two. but Turner slides in well to clear. Turner’s doing a tough job decently.
32 mins: There’s a delay as Katie Zelem needs some treatment but the United midfielder is good to continue. But the break in play gives Skinner a chance to chat to his side about a few things …
31 mins: Charles misses a golden chance to make it 3-0, Cuthbert (I think) getting space on the right and sending a cross over for Charles at the far post but she mishits her left-foot volley wide.
28 mins: A brief glimmer for Man Utd as a nice aerial ball is hit forward to Garcia in a central area but she’s offside.
27 mins: United do find some space in attack through Toone who works it left to Blundell, but she spanners the cross straight down Hampton’s throat.
26 mins: Part of the brilliance of this Chelsea side is they look as potent knocking it long as they do weaving close passing patterns. United have absolutely no answer to this at present. Garcia is often a valuable outlet on the right but once again she is smothered and dispossessed trying to get a United attack going.
A goal of effortless simplicity. Bjorn, who’s already looking accomplished on debut, sends a long ball into the inside right channel for James, who controls, accelerates and smacks it hard under her England teammate Earps for number two against her old club.
Goal! Chelsea 2-0 Manchester United (James 23)
It’s her again!
20 mins: James dinks a high testing ball forward for Fishel but United clear their lines well with Turner and Earps but still can’t build an attack of their own.
19 mins: Man Utd just can’t find the space when they attack that Chelsea can – Lawrence is performing well defensively as well as going forward, and again they have to work it all the way back to the keeper.
16 mins: Leupolz, Reiten and James link up to feed Charles whose left-wing cross is headed out to Charles who rashly blooters wide
“Any chance of an occasional update from the Championship lunchtime fixture, where the goals are already flying in as both teams make a fast start,” asks Jeremy Boyce. Why of course, Charlton lead Blackburn 1-0. Lewes and Durham are goalless. Not sure this constitutes “already flying in”. In the men’s Championship mind, it’s Leeds 1-1 Preston
14 mins: Kaneryd bursts into the box in miles of space on the right bur her pull-back for Fishel is misdirected and weak. That right flank is looking a productive area for Chelsea.
12 mins: Charles feeds Fishel on the left, it’s worked out right and Leopolz. Kanmeryd and Fishel link up neatly on the edge of the box, but United keep their shape and push them back. The champions bossing the possession stats at the minute.
10 mins: Buchanan gives the ball away but such is Chelsea’s pressing that United can only go backwards until. Le Tissier gets hold of it and strikes a decent hopeful ball into the box towards Galton but Chelsea clear.
8 mins: Chelsea knock it about in the middle with ease before Reiten breaks forward, feeds James who drives into the area on the inside left before skewing her shot wide. Earps looks justifably miffed with her teammates.
6 mins: Chelsea win yet another corner but this one is cleared more comfortably. United need to catch their breath here.
Chelsea show all their attacking options, probing deep into the United area, the ball is knocked wide in tight spaces and eventially Kaneryd plays in James, who slots into the corner.
Goal! Chelsea 1-0 Man Utd (James 4)
A goal that already felt inevitable.
4 mins: Leupolz in midfield feeds Lawrence down the right and she forages towards the byline, winning another corner. Reiten’s delivery sparks a fearsome goalmouth scramble, United block well though and it comes out to Bjorn who volleys high and over.
2 mins: Chelsea win an early corner through Reiten’s raid down the left. It’ worked back to Lawrence as United press well and the danger’s cleared as it’s played all the way back to Hampton
Peep!
1 min: After a timely taking of the knee, Chelsea get us under way, attacking the Shed end
Out come the teams. Stamford Bridge looks more than half full, which would give us more than 20,000.
Marc Skinner’s feeling defiant. “We’re aiming to try to win this game – whatever happens after we’ll deal with but we need to try to win, Chelsea are the champions, this is their home, it’ll be hard, but I believe we can do this.”
Emma Hayes speaks about her team selection. Fishel has got the nod up front based on her ability to “hold the ball up well, her and Lauren James link up quite naturally.” As for her selection of Hannah Hampton in goal: “Her distribution from the deepest places against an aggressive pressing team will be useful.”
Marc Skinner comes into this under a bit of pressure, with some fan discontent with the United manager, a measure of the enhanced expectations at a still-young club. Underdog status this afternoon might help in that regard.
There’s a busy programme in the WSL and Championship today, with third-placed Manchester City hosting fifth-placed Liverpool and key relegation tussle between Brighton and Bristol City among the biggies. In the Championship the leaders, Charlton, have just kicked off at home to Blackburn.
Here’s a scene re-setter:
Today’s teams
Just a place on the bench for Beever-Jones today, mind, with Emma Hayes going with Lauren James, Guro Reiten and Mia Fishel in attack. New signing Nathalie Bjorn makes her debut in defence.
Chelsea: Hampton; Lawrence, Buchanan, Bjorn, Charles, Leupolz, Cuthbert, Kaneryd, James, Reiten, Fishel. Subs: Musovic, Ingle, Nusken, Carter, Kirby, Perisset, Mjelde, Cankovic, Beever-Jones.
Manchester United: Earps; Riviere, Le Tissier, Turner, Blundell, Ladd, Zelem, García, Toone, Galton, Geyse. Subs: Guerrero, Evans, Naalsund, Parris, Williams, Tullis-Joyce.
Pre-match reading: Kerr’s absence will of course require others to step up, such as Aggie Beever-Jones, Chelsea through and through, who’s had a decent season already, scoring at Stamford Bridge against Liverpool, which fulfilled something of a dream. She’s had a sit-down with Suzanne Wrack:
“I did a knee slide as well. I don’t think I even dreamt as a kid of doing a knee slide at Stamford Bridge. I’m just so happy with everything at the moment and I’ve got to keep doing what I’m doing.”
Preamble
Morning everyone, and it’s a warm welcome back to the WSL. It feels as if plenty has changed since the league signed off for its winter break before Christmas with Chelsea on a roll both domestically and in Europe, and looking set to stride clear towards another WSL title. Then calamity struck Emma Hayes’s squad with Sam Kerr’s ACL injury, which, alongside Millie Bright’s continued absence, encouraged a certain amount of talking-up of their rivals’ chances of capitalising. But any team with a frontline boasting Lauren James, Guto Reiten and Fran Kirby is not going to lack attacking menace. They remain the best team in the land but are not, as Arsenal proved thrillingly before Christmas, an infallible one. And they have the Gunners breathing down their necks once again after Jonas Eidevall’s side saw off Everton yesterday
Manchester United have never beaten Chelsea in the WSL, and have their work cut out to achieve a top-three place this term. Marc Skinner’s side also have their own injury concerns, with Hinata Miyazawa, Gabby George and Aoife Mannion among those missing today. They did, however, cruise past Newcastle in the FA Cup last weekend in a confidence-boosting manner.
And we’re at Stamford Bridge for today’s match, with more than 20,000 tickets sold, as Chelsea look to drag their best crowds closer to Arsenal’s. There’s plenty to look forward to here. Go nowhere.
Kick-off: 12.30pm GMT