The Lionesses' shot-stopper kept Sonia Bompastor's side in the game at times, before the champions showed their quality to battle to victory
Chelsea had Hannah Hampton to thank as they started the new Women's Super League season with back-to-back wins, following up victory over Manchester City on the opening weekend with a 3-1 win at Aston Villa on Sunday. The Blues were not at the races in the first half and watched their No.1, who they signed from Villa two years ago, come up big on numerous occasions to prevent her old club from racing into a comfortable lead. Once the champions had rode that storm out, though, their own quality showed, as an Aggie Beever-Jones header, Keira Walsh's deflected strike and a goal from Sam Kerr on her long-awaited return gave them a hard-fought win.
It all started quite well for Chelsea, who took the lead with 22 minutes on the clock as Catarina Macario made up for an early miss with a great run into the final third, starting a move that ended with Beever-Jones nodding in Ellie Carpenter's cross. But Villa were a serious threat on the counter and eventually got the goal they deserved when Ebony Salmon fizzed a beautiful strike over the head of Hampton just past the half-hour mark. The game started to get away from Chelsea from there, as Salmon had a couple of huge opportunities, with Kirsty Hanson also having a great look at goal. Fortunately for the visitors, though, Hampton stood tall and got them into the break with the scores level.
Once there, Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor didn't hesitate. A triple-substitution was made ahead of the second half kicking-off and it made all the difference, as Erin Cuthbert helped wrestle back control of the game in midfield and Alyssa Thompson, the Blues' blockbuster deadline-day signing, enjoyed a lively debut out wide. The momentum had swung firmly back into the favour of the title holders and a goal was clearly coming, though it would be a fortunate one when it did arrive, as Walsh's wayward strike was deflected on target and into the back of her own goal by an unlucky Missy Bo Kearns.
However, the most memorable contribution from a substitute would come in the dying moments, when Kerr, making her first appearance for 634 days due to an awful knee injury, got her moment in the sun. Just a few minutes prior, she had shown some shyness in front of goal, passing to Beever-Jones despite being six yards out and in prime position to score herself, but there would be no such hesitation in stoppage time as the striker stabbed at a loose ball from a corner and sent it beyond Ellie Roebuck, producing heart-warming scenes to cap off a day that had been frustrating at times for Chelsea, but ultimately ended in them getting the three points they came for.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Villa Park…
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Hannah Hampton (8/10):
Kept Chelsea in the game at times, making several top quality saves to stop Villa running away with it.
Ellie Carpenter (5/10):
Was good going forward, providing the cross which Beever-Jones' headed home to break the deadlock, but was consistently exposed at the back.
Nathalie Bjorn (7/10):
Came up with a whole host of last-ditch interventions to prevent Villa going ahead.
Millie Bright (6/10):
Made some good blocks and stood up tall to frustrate Villa's forwards when they had their back to goal.
Niamh Charles (4/10):
Struggled to win her duels and was too loose in possession before going off at the break.
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Keira Walsh (5/10):
Didn't take control of the game like she can and failed to track Salmon for Villa's equaliser. Made some amends with the strike that helped Chelsea take the lead.
Wieke Kaptein (4/10):
Taken off at half-time having struggled to make her mark in the opening 45 minutes.
Catarina Macario (6/10):
Should've scored early on, though did make up for that miss by playing a key role in the goal that broke the deadlock. Influence on the game grew as Chelsea wrestled momentum back in the second period.
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Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (4/10):
Barely got involved despite playing 75 minutes.
Aggie Beever-Jones (7/10):
In the right place at the right time to open the scoring. Gave Chelsea some respite with how she carried her team forward and out of pressure at important times, too.
Guro Reiten (4/10):
Worked hard off the ball but couldn't get into the game before being taken off at half-time.
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Alyssa Thompson (7/10):
A lively debut, with plenty of positive runs down the left and some good defending in transition, too.
Erin Cuthbert (7/10):
No coincidence that Chelsea had much more control of the game once she came into the midfield.
Sandy Baltimore (4/10):
Replaced Charles at the break but wasn't much better, with some sloppy moments and lapses in defending.
Sam Kerr (N/A):
Made her first appearance for 634 days when she came off the bench for the final 15 minutes and enjoyed a dream return with a late goal.
Oriane Jean-Francois (N/A):
A late sub as Chelsea saw the game out.
Sonia Bompastor (7/10):
Opted for a back four, as opposed to the back three which led her team to victory against Man City last week, and Villa exposed the spaces left out wide when Chelsea attacked, with them creating enough chances to be in a comfortable lead at half-time. Bompastor acted quickly to wrestle back momentum, though, with her subs making a huge difference.
