Chelsea WFC

Chelsea’s undefeated start to the season continued on Sunday when they beat West Ham United 5-0 in the Women’s Super League.

Catarina Macario, Erin Cuthbert, Aggie Beever-Jones, Sandy Baltimore scored superb goals for the Blues before Amber Tysiak put into her own net late on to complete the scoring.

On a cold afternoon in Dagenham, Beever-Jones saw her shot from outside the area deflected over in the 4th minute as the visitors looked to make their early dominance count.  A number of corners from the visitors also came to nothing in the opening stages of the match.

Chelsea took the lead in the 11th minute when Macario sent a stunning left-footed dipping volley from 12-yards into the net.

Two minutes later, Macario sent an effort well over from seven-yards.  In the 15th minute, Mayra Ramirez headed straight at the West Ham goalkeeper.  Macario sent a free kick from 25-yards wide for the visitors in the 20th minute.

Cuthbert, on her 250th appearance for Chelsea, made it 2-0 a minute later when she fired into the bottom corner from the edge of the area after the Hammers had lost possession whilst trying to play out from the back.

Baltimore forced Kinga Szemik into making a save in the 24th minute as the Blues continued to be well on top.  Ramirez’s header from a corner went back closer to where it started then the goal minutes later.

Cuthbert was back to stop a rare West Ham attack as the match approached the half-hour mark

Beever-Jones saw her effort headed off the line by Anouk Denton with Sjoeke Nusken sending the rebound wide as the away side went close to extending their lead further.

A nice Chelsea attack down the left-side, which started with Millie Bright winning the ball in defence, finished with Baltimore shooting across goal and wide.

Seraina Piubel had the home sides first effort at goal in the 38th minute when she got clear but sent her shot wide of goal.

At the other end, Szemik pushed away Macario’s 20-yard strike.

Beever-Jones scored the Blues third goal a minute before half time with a stunning effort of her own when she found the net with a shot from 18-yards that flew past the West Ham goalkeeper.

Szemik got down to stop Beever-Jones shot in first half additional time with the attack starting after a crunching Bright challenge.  Baltimore was then denied by the goalkeeper as the visitors looked to add another goal before the break.

Shekiera Martinez came on at half time for her debut for the Hammers.  They had the first chance of the second half within the first minute of it but Katrina Gorry shot over from 20-yards.

In the 48th minute, Baltimore sent a strike over for the away side and into their supporters behind that goal.

Baltimore made it 4-0 in the 52nd minute when after a clearance from Szemik had been won by Chelsea, she sent a strike from just inside area into the top corner for another cracking goal.

Denton, who had been one of West Ham’s better players, shot over from the edge of the box as the hosts looked to get a goal back.

There weren’t as many clear chances in the second period until Riko Ueki made her way to just inside the area in the 70th minute but her shot was straight at Hannah Hampton in the Blues goal.

Cuthbert saw her shot fall tamely into Szemik’s gloves with 15 minutes remaining.  In the 78th minute, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd fired onto the side netting for the away side.

West Ham appealed loudly for a handball by Lucy Bronze in the box a minute later but the referee waved play on before a cross was claimed by Hampton.

Maika Hamano saw an effort blocked by one of her Chelsea teammates as the match went into the final 10 minutes.  Gorry then made a good block as Hamano was about to shoot after Szemik had again given the ball away.

In the 85th minute, Tysiak put Cuthbert’s low cross into her own net from close-range as the visitors made it 5-0.

Chelsea had a few half chances during the remainder of the match but couldn’t find the net again and it was the home side who went closest to scoring when Gorry sent a shot wide.

The victory for the Blues sees Sonia Bompastor set a new record of 11 games unbeaten start for a manager in the WSL whilst captain Mille Bright becomes the player with most wins in the leagues history.

Chelsea are now seven points clear of Arsenal at the top of the league with the two playing each other on Sunday at Stamford Bridge.  West Ham remain 10th and three points ahead of bottom side Crystal Palace.

Line ups

West Ham United (5-3-2): Szemik, Smith, Mengwen (Cooke 75’), Tysiak, Zadorsky, Denton, Piubel (Pavi 78’), Gorry (c), Siren (Martinez 46’), Asseyi, Ueki

Unused substitutes: Walsh, Bergman Lundin, Harries, Saez, Houssein, Ademiluyi

Booked - Gorry

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Hampton, Bronze, Bjorn, Bright (c), Charles (Lawrence 71’), Nusken (Jean-Francois 61’), Cuthbert, Beever-Jones, Macario (Hamano 61’), Baltimore (Reiten 61’), Ramirez (Rytting Kaneryd 71’)

Unused substitutes: Musovic, Perisset, Mpome, Bernabe

Goals – Macario 11’, Cuthbert 21’, Beever-Jones 44’, Baltimore 52’, Tysiak (og) 85’

Referee - Amy Fearn