- Mayra Ramirez’s solo strike opening the scoring before Guro Reiten’s curler
- Chelsea sit two points ahead of second-place Man City, who have a game in hand
- Is Harry Kane right to blast England drop-outs? LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Available wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes every Monday and Thursday
Sonia Bompastor had just let out a loud cry of frustration. Her team had given the ball away again in the final third as they struggled to break down a stubborn Manchester City defence.
For 75 minutes they had tried playing around their opponents. In the end, Mayra Ramirez decided she would have to just go straight through them. As Maika Hamano played a ball through to the forward, Alanna Kennedy stood in her way. With the power of a shoulder barge, Kennedy was sent flying – fairly, it must be said.
As Ramirez bared down on goal, Alex Greenwood, who had been shown a yellow card earlier in the game, could not afford to bring her down. Ramirez continued to drive before cutting inside to fire a shot past Ayaka Yamashita. Bompastor’s frustration turned to joy.
The Chelsea manager celebrated even more wildly when Guro Reiten doubled their lead four minutes later. She had turned around with her fists clenched then suddenly stopped as she realised she was staring right at City’s despondent bench and the two players, Chloe Kelly and Laura Coombs, who were waiting to come on. She then embraced her own bench with a slightly more relaxed high five.
When Emma Hayes departed Chelsea, she left a hole that looked difficult to fill. Bompastor is making it look easy. She is not like Hayes, but she is not trying to be. Both managers are fiercely passionate and can be an entertaining watch on the sideline, but Bompastor has her own style. It is one that is clearly working.
It is now 10 games played and 10 games won – seven in the Women’s Super League and three in Europe.
Chelsea went top of the WSL table on Saturday night after beating Manchester City
Mayra Ramirez (left) opened the scoring at Stamford Bridge with a superb solo run
Guro Reiten curled into the bottom corner to double the Blues lead four minutes later
She is the first ever manager to win their opening seven games in the WSL and this victory in particular could prove key come May.
Chelsea and City were unbeaten coming into this and already look like the two standout title contenders.
Gareth Taylor’s side undoubtedly missed Lauren Hemp, who was forced to sit out due to a knee injury. Her link-up with Bunny Shaw has been key to their start to the season and the City forward did not look the same without her team-mate’s vision.
Taylor was perhaps too slow to get his substitutes on to the pitch before Chelsea got their second goal, which effectively killed the game.
City lost the title to Chelsea on goal difference last season and they now sit two points behind their opponents, who have a game in-hand, with a significantly inferior goal difference.
It will not be lost on Taylor, who had hyped this clash up as ‘not just another game’, that this result is a blow. Chelsea currently look unstoppable, but he will know that much can change as the season unfolds.
Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor was a frustrated figure until the opening goal of the night
Man City lost the title to Chelsea on goal difference last season and they now sit two points behind the blues
There had been little to separate the two teams until Ramirez showed her quality to power past Kennedy and Greenwood to open the scoring.
Reiten sealed it when she bent in a fantastic curled shot after City had failed to clear a corner. It may have taken a while for this match to come to life, but it has taken Bompastor no time at all to find her feet in England.
Chelsea have won five straight WSL titles. With Bompastor’s team in this sort of form, it is hard to see who can stop them making it six.
