WHAT HAPPENED
We made it four wins from four in the Women’s Super League on Sunday as we produced a stunning display to beat champions Chelsea 5-0 at Kingsmeadow.
It was the hosts who started on the front foot - and they came close to punishing us inside the fourth minute. Fran Kirby squared the ball to Adelina Engman who was free inside the box, but Pauline Peyraud-Magnin was quick off her line to make a vital save.
Vivianne Miedema then tried her luck from 20 yards, before Engman’s effort from a tight angle was deflected behind for a corner.
We continued to play our football, though, and in the 21st minute we got our reward. Engman brought down Emma Mitchell inside the box following a lung-busting run down the left wing - and Kim Little made no mistake from 12 yards.
Chelsea went on to regain possession, but this provided us with the space we needed to counter. Little received the ball high up the pitch and charged at the Chelsea defence before slipping through Miedema, who raced in on goal and fired past Carly Telford.
Following the break Drew Spence found space inside the box and looked to have a free shot at goal, but Leah Williamson was there to make a stunning last-ditch tackle on the line.
Moments later, Jordan Nobbs made it three with a fine strike from the tightest of angles. Our captain raced down the right wing, saw Telford off her line and delivered a powerful right-footed effort into the top left corner.
Joe Montemurro’s side were playing with real confidence by this point, and less than five minutes later Miedema scored her second of the afternoon after being teed up by Beth Mead.
Mead had caused the hosts problems all afternoon - and she went on to create our fifth. Racing down the right wing, she played an inch-perfect pass into the path of Nobbs, who fizzed a shot into the bottom corner.
As the game drew to a close the Blues continually looked to find an opening behind our defence, but we stood strong to inflict Chelsea’s first home defeat since May 2016.
WHAT IT MEANS
We’ve maintained our place at the top of the WSL table.
WHAT’S NEXT
We now turn our attention to our Women’s Super League clash with Reading on Sunday, October 21.
The game will take place at Meadow Park with kick-off at 2pm (UK time) -and you can buy your tickets here
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