Chelsea returned to the top of the Women’s Super League with a hard-earned 1-0 win over Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.
Sandy Baltimore’s first-half strike handed City their first defeat of the season and ensured the title race remains finely poised.
Chelsea survived an early spell of pressure from the reigning champions before settling into the contest. Confidence grew, although the hosts again lacked the clinical edge that had contributed to consecutive draws over the previous week.
This time, however, Baltimore’s moment of brilliance in the fourth minute of stoppage time secured the result and prevented another frustrating afternoon.
City’s afternoon took another turn in the 75th minute when goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita was dismissed for a reckless challenge on Alyssa Thompson. The red card briefly lifted the visitors, but Chelsea defended resolutely to claim all three points.
Daily Mail Sport’s Tara Anson-Walsh and Samara Watts were at Stamford Bridge to assess the key talking points from a pivotal WSL encounter…
Chelsea ended City’s unbeaten start and sent the WSL title race into a new phase
Ayaka Yamashita was shown a red card after bringing down Alyssa Thompson in the 75th minute
Buchanan’s difficult afternoon
Kadeisha Buchanan endured a painful afternoon after being withdrawn by Sonia Bompastor just 11 minutes into the match. Usually one of Chelsea’s most dependable performers this season, the centre back struggled early against Bunny Shaw, a particularly unforgiving opponent for any defender.
Buchanan surrendered possession in the opening stages, allowing Shaw to surge towards goal. Moments later, the Jamaican striker again used her strength and pace to get beyond the Canada international, although City failed to turn either opening into a goal.
The 31-year-old looked distraught when her number appeared on the substitution board after only 12 minutes. She accepted a reluctant embrace from her manager before heading down the tunnel.
Veerle Buurman, who is only 20 and had impressed against Shaw in the teams’ previous FA Cup meeting, replaced her. The Dutch defender helped restore Chelsea’s balance and gave the home side a firmer base from which to build.
Bompastor rejected the idea that the substitution had been purely tactical, explaining after the match that Buchanan had suffered a head injury in Friday’s training session.
‘She was fine after the training session, she was fine in the evening and we assessed her again this morning and everything was fine,’ Bompastor said.
‘I had this information on what happened yesterday and I just felt, watching her from the beginning of the game, she was not herself. I took the responsibility to make this substitution. I was almost forced to do that because I know my player, and I know she was not right in the game.’
Buchanan has been among Chelsea’s leading performers this season but was taken off after an unsteady opening 11 minutes
A gathering of football royalty
Sarina Wiegman, Emma Hayes and Ian Wright were among the notable figures who braved the cold at Stamford Bridge for Saturday’s meeting between two WSL powerhouses.
The newly appointed honorary Dame Wiegman sat alongside Hayes, and the pair exchanged warm conversation. Their friendly relationship may become more competitive as next summer’s World Cup draws closer.
Wiegman had plenty to monitor among the England contingent, including rising star Lexi Potter. The 20-year-old delivered another composed display against the defending champions, underlining her maturity in high-pressure matches before Tuesday’s squad announcement.
The England manager may also have winced at the number of heavy challenges aimed at Lucy Bronze. At 35, the full back remains a crucial source of leadership and athleticism, making her a player Wiegman will be keen to protect ahead of Brazil.
Aggie Beever-Jones was another player hoping to strengthen her case for selection. She has found opportunities harder to come by this season and began on the bench, but an injury to Melvine Malard brought her on earlier than expected. She occupied promising positions yet will have been disappointed not to convert one of them.
Ella Toone is also facing a battle against time. The Manchester United midfielder was omitted from Eva Olid’s starting XI once again as United beat Crystal Palace 2-0, and the two-time European Championship winner will be increasingly anxious with Brazil approaching.
Honorary Dame Sarina Wiegman sat beside Emma Hayes at Stamford Bridge, with the pair sharing a warm exchange
Malard injury leaves Chelsea short
Melvine Malard’s injury has increased uncertainty over where Chelsea’s goals will come from. The Blues have already missed the clinical presence of Lauren James, who remains sidelined with a hamstring problem until the international break.
Malard departed after 35 minutes with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. After missing the start of the campaign because of a pre-season knock, the France forward had become Chelsea’s leading scorer in James’s absence, with six league goals.
Chelsea are averaging 24 attempts per game, an extraordinary figure over a WSL season, but their finishing has recently let them down. They were held to a goalless draw by BK Hacken in the Women’s Champions League during the week before drawing 1-1 with Everton last weekend.
Once Malard left the field, Chelsea struggled to produce the same attacking spark. Beever-Jones, her replacement, has been managing an ankle issue and has scored only once in the WSL as she continues to regain her rhythm.
Head coach Sonia Bompastor said: ‘The frustration sometimes comes from us not being ruthless and clinical.’
A flash of inspiration from Malard’s France team-mate Baltimore put Chelsea ahead just before the interval with the side’s first effort on target. Baltimore was then substituted at half-time as Chelsea managed her workload, and the hosts could not add to their lead despite further opportunities.
Bompastor said: ‘From the outside it seems like we have had a lot of injuries, but we have been playing every three days.’
‘I knew coming into the game we were not as fresh as we would like to be, but that’s our environment.
‘We want to play in every competition but the players are not robots.’
Malard’s injury could create further problems for Chelsea’s attack after they managed only two shots on target while narrowly holding on for victory.
Malard was forced off before half-time, leaving Chelsea without one of their main attacking outlets
Yamashita’s costly error
Stamford Bridge erupted in the 75th minute when City goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita raced outside her penalty area and brought down Thompson, who had a clear path towards goal.
Chelsea had launched a swift attack down the left, with Thompson just beyond the edge of the box when Yamashita failed to reach the ball and sent her opponent tumbling.
The Japan international received a straight red card, ending a rare lapse from a goalkeeper normally regarded as one of the calmest players in the league. It was City’s first WSL dismissal since November 2023.
The referee gave City three minutes to make the change, with Scotland goalkeeper Eartha Cumings replacing forward Aoba Fujino.
Her first challenge arrived just a minute later. Beever-Jones’s right-footed effort from the resulting indirect free-kick dipped dangerously, but the crossbar came to Cumings’s rescue.
The immediate concern for City is how Yamashita’s suspension, potentially lasting three matches, could affect their title challenge.
In the immediate aftermath against Chelsea, however, City responded impressively. Andree Jeglertz said: ‘The players dealt with it in a good way, so even though we were one player down we had a couple of great opportunities to score a goal. Of course it affected the game but that is not why we lost.’
Yamashita’s rush from goal ended with a red card after she brought down Thompson with the forward through on goal
The title race is wide open
Chelsea’s victory has transformed the WSL standings. They now sit one point clear of City at the summit, with the defending champions’ unbeaten run finally over.
Bompastor’s side have scored 24 league goals to City’s 16 after 10 matches, but the champions will need to sharpen their attack with Liverpool and London City Lionesses still to come before the international break.
Chelsea managed only seven shots, with one finding the target, highlighting the need for improvement in the final third.
Bompastor said: ‘It’s a nice feeling to be top of the table right now and to win against these top sides, but I know we still have a lot of work to be done and it’s early on in the season so many things can happen.’
City struggled to create clear chances, while the return of the WSL’s all-time leading scorer Vivianne Miedema was overshadowed by Yamashita’s costly dismissal.
Jeglertz said: ‘They managed to score on their big chance and it was a great finish.
‘We also had some great opportunities where we didn’t manage to score, but I think we deserve more than going away from here with no points.’
London City Lionesses play Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday. Victory in north London would move them to within four points of the new league leaders and add another layer of intrigue to an already compelling WSL season.
