West Ham Women 0-7 Chelsea Women
On current form, Lauren James is a shoo-in for the Lionesses as England defend the Arnold Clark Cup during the latest mid-season break in the league.
The round-robin tournament gives James the chance to build her international career in matches against Korea, Italy and Belgium after superb performances for Chelsea against Spurs and West Ham.
The stonking 7-0 Conti Cup semi-final victory over the Hammers saw James’s Aussie teammate Sam Kerr net four goals, yet it was the sheer exuberance of James which again caught the eye.
Chelsea will now face Arsenal in the final at Selhurst Park on 5 March. It’s the Blues’ fourth League Cup final in a row, and a chance to put the disappointment of losing to Man City at Wimbledon’s ground last year behind them.
England coach Sarina Wiegman knows James has the potential to be a first-pick player for a decade or more, with her recent improvement down to the clever management of Blues coach Emma Hayes and the hard work of the fitness team at Cobham.
Hayes has encouraged the forward to express herself on the pitch, but not neglect her bread-and-butter duties.
It was James who set up Fran Kirby for Chelsea’s second against the Irons, and James who deservedly got on the scoresheet herself after 55 minutes, collecting a Sophie Ingle through ball and firing into the net.
Without the injured Beth Mead to inspire them, Arsenal are showing signs of flagging in the final stages of the Women’s Super League. The Gunners lost to City last weekend, making the Blues slight favourites for the Conti Cup.
Hayes will be without Kirby for a couple of games after she picked up an injury to her right knee, and will be closely monitoring the rest of her squad, who have scattered across the globe to take part in a string of international friendlies ahead of the World Cup.
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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