Chelsea FC Women

Chelsea beat West Ham United 2-0 in this London derby in the Women’s Super League on Saturday evening at Kingsmeadow.  Sam Kerr scored her first goal of the season in the first half before Erin Cuthbert added a second as the match entered additional time at the end of the second half.

The home side had the first chance in the 3rd minute but Kerr’s header from a corner was cleared. Melanie Leupolz had the Blues next effort at goal three minutes later which was easily saved by Mackenzie Arnold. 

In the 9th minute, Emma Harries put an effort over for the visitors as they had their first opportunity.

Back at the other end, Lauren James sent in a dangerous cross which Kerr just couldn’t get her head on.  Kerr did have the ball in net in 13th minute but it was disallowed for offside. 

The Hammers next chance came two minutes later when Lisa Evans’ low shot was saved by Zecira Musovic.

Kerr, whilst falling to the ground, put an effort just wide following a James cross in the 32nd minute for the Blues.

Chelsea did take the lead in the 36th minute when Kerr headed in Niamh Charles’ delightful cross at the far post.

Viviane Asseyi headed just wide for the away side as they came close to scoring an immediate equaliser two minutes after they went behind. 

The hosts had the final efforts of the first half with Fran Kirby not getting enough contact on Kerr’s cross in the 41st minute. Kirby, on her first start since February, played a fantastic through ball to James but Arnold saved the shot as half time approached.

West Ham started the second half well with Riko Ueki seeing an effort deflected behind.  The Hammers had a succession of corners with Kirsty Smith seeing an effort tipped over by Musovic after one of these.  Ueki then dragged a shot wide from outside the area in the 58th minute.

In the 65th minute Chelsea had their first opportunity of the second half, and a good chance to make it 2-0, when James was played in by Ashley Lawrence but saw her shot go inches wide of the post. 

The Blues had a good spell over the next few minutes creating several chances.  Charles deflected cross was saved by Arnold for a corner, and from the corner, Sjoeke Nusken smashed a shot wide.  Cuthbert’s long-range free kick was saved by Arnold in the 71st minute as the pressure from the home side continued to come.

The next chance for the hosts came in the 79th minute when Cuthbert shot wide from distance.  Leupolz was allowed to run forward then sent a shot straight at Arnold from the edge of the area with three minutes left. 

Cuthbert made it 2-0 to Chelsea just as the match went into stoppage time with a finish from close-range after playing a one-two with Jessie Fleming.

Aggie Beever-Jones had the final opportunity of the match for the Blues when her long-range shot was tipped over by the West Ham goalkeeper in additional time.

After Sunday’s WSL games, Chelsea finish the weekend in third place in the league whilst West Ham are ninth after three games. 

Both sides are at home next weekend in the WSL with the Blues taking on Brighton & Hove Albion whilst the Hammers play Liverpool.

Line ups

Chelsea: Musovic, Bright (c), Ingle (Cuthbert 56’), Carter, Leupolz, James (Fleming 78’), Lawrence, Kirby (Nusken 56’), Mjelde, Kerr (Beever-Jones 78’), Charles

Unused substitutes: Berger, Perisset, Rytting Kaneryd, Buchanan, Cankovic

Goals – Kerr 36’, Cuthbert 90’

Booked – Leupolz

West Ham United: Arnold (c), Smith, Shimizu, Evans, Ueki, Harries (Atkinson 65’), Denton, Hayashi, Asseyi, Cooke, Cissoko (Tysiak 89’)

Unused substitutes: Walsh, Stringer, Filis, Ademiluyi, Flannery

Booked - Cissoko

Referee – Stacey Pearson

Attendance – 3,313