Chelsea Women go into the international break with smiles on their faces after a 3-1 away win against Man United last Sunday which sees them nibbling at the heels of table-toppers Arsenal.
Quick-fire goals from Sam Kerr and Lauren James within three minutes of each other in the second half and a stoppage-time strike from Erin Cuthbert ended their hosts' unbeaten start.
The only fly in the ointment came with 20 minutes to go when a sloppy pass by Cuthbert was intercepted by Ella Toone, who worked the ball through to United striker Alessia Russo. Hers was a clinical finish against onrushing keeper Ann-Katrin Berger.
The record 6,186 crowd at Leigh Sports Village hoped for a comeback which never materialised, in part thanks to a stand-out performance by James against her former side.
Praising the 21-year-old forward, Chelsea assistant manager Paul Green said: “We’ve got a hell of a player on our hands, and we just need to keep developing her in the right way.”
The player herself described her return to United's ground as bittersweet (she was heckled by some of the home fans), but she emphasised that she takes a philosophical "that's football" view of it.
However, the question mark over former first-pick striker Beth England grows larger. An unused sub against United, her apparent role is as spares back-up to Kerr, James, Pernille Hardy and Fran Kirby, and she desperately needs regular weekly starts to sharpen her match fitness and rebuild her goal-scoring confidence.
She’d be an asset to many teams in the Women’s Super League, and January’s transfer window is surely the opportunity to find greener pastures and first-team football once again. Privately, Chelsea's hierarchy say they wouldn't stand in the way if she chooses to move.
Green revealed that manager Emma Hayes, who has been sitting games out recovering from an emergency hysterectomy, will return to the dugout for Chelsea’s WSL match against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on Sunday 20 November.
The reception she will get from a crowd now expected to top 30,000 will be something else.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
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