City suffer first defeat of the season at Stamford Bridge

Both teams entered the top-of-the-table clash in the Barclays Women’s Super League looking to lay down an early marker for the championship.

However, despite heroic defending and sharp counter-attacks throughout from the visitors, second-half goals Mayra Ramirez and Guro Reiten helped the Londoners to the success in the capital.

It means we are now second in the WSL, but there are plenty of points to play for as the halfway point in the season approaches.

WHAT HAPPENED

Stamford Bridge hosted the first heavyweight bout between the two sides in the Barclays Women’s Super League in 2024/25 – and although we were without Lauren Hemp in the capital - the performances from Mary Fowler and Aoba Fujino in our previous encounter, a 2-0 win over Hammarby, gave us plenty to be positive about. 

But Ayaka Yamashita was the first goalkeeper called into action in the fifth minute when a Chelsea corner was met by Millie Bright, who forced our stopper into a smart, low save.

Early openings were at a premium, but the patterns of play were starting to develop with both teams looking to press out of possession, and carve open the other when in it.

The hosts’ closing down almost paid dividends when Maika Hamano intercepted Alanna Kennedy‘s clearance before the Australian recovered ground well and blocked her cross.

Then Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw immediately almost pinched the ball from Bright – but the England defender was just able to toe it to Hannah Hampton who cleared the danger.

After her early warning sign, Hamano squandered a great chance midway through the first half when she fired Johanna Rytting Kaneryd’s pass over the bar from a promising position.

That seemed to spark the game to life somewhat and our relentless pressing almost found the first goal when Sandy Baltimore under hit a back pass, which Shaw was able to collect.

The forward drove into the area but dragged her effort wide from a tight angle.

Having never scored for City since her summer 2022 arrival, Kerstin Casparij would’ve been an unlikely candidate for the opener, but the Dutch defender almost caught Hampton out when shaping to cross but instead firing towards the near post.

The effort sent Chelsea’s keeper scrambling across and pushing the ball out for a corner, with the resultant set play seeing Shaw plant a header just wide of the post as the opening 45 ended goalless and finely poised.

In our last league encounter with Chelsea, Alex Greenwood and Ramirez played out their own enthralling, physical battle as City collected a memorable 1-0 win at Kingsmeadow.

And the pair renewed that duel early in the second half when the Londoners’ striker shrugged off two challenges to arrive into the box before our captain recovered with a perfectly timed slide tackle to thwart her run.

Chelsea were arguably the brighter side after the interval, but Taylor’s team hit them with an electric counter attack when Jill Roord threaded a perfectly weighted pass into Aoba Fujino’s path before the winger’s goalbound strike was blocked.

Both teams had scored a combined 39 goals so far this term, but it was looking increasingly likely one goal may decide the crucial encounter at the Bridge with both teams seemingly cancelling the other out.

But the Londoners found the precious opener with just less than 15 minutes remaining, when Ramirez won an aerial duel just inside our half before driving to the edge of the box and curling an unstoppable effort into the bottom corner.

Buoyed by their first, Chelsea doubled their advantage soon after when the ball ricocheted inside our box from a corner before being swept out to Reiten who curled home from the right corner of the area.

Taylor turned to his bench and introduced Chloe Kelly and Laura Coombs from the side with 10 to play who gave us fresh attacking impetus, but the hosts held on for three points in the capital.

HOW WE LINED UP

Ayaka Yamashita started between the sticks and was protected by a back four of Kerstin Casparij, Alex Greenwood, Alanna Kennedy and Leila Ouahabi.

Yui Hasegawa anchored our midfield three behind Jess Park and Jill Roord.

And Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw led the line between Mary Fowler who played on the left and Aoba Fujino who operated on the right.

City XI: Yamashita, Casparij, Greenwood (C), Kennedy, Ouahabi, Hasegawa, Park (Coombs 81’), Roord, Fowler (Kelly 81’), Fujino, Shaw.

Unused substitutes: Keating, Startup, Blindkilde Brown, Prior, Thomas, Murphy, O’Carroll.

Chelsea XI: Hampton, Bronze, Bright (C), Bjorn, Baltimore, Nusken, Cuthbert, Rytting Kaneryd, Hamano, Reiten (Lawrence 83’), Ramirez (Beever-Jones 90’).

Unused substitutes: Musovic, Macario, Perisset, Kaptein, Mpome, Jean-Francois, Bernabe.

WHAT IT MEANS

The defeat at Stamford Bridge is our first of the season and means we sit second in the WSL table on 19 points after eight matches.

WHAT’S NEXT

Next up for City is a trip to Sweden to face Hammarby in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. 

We lock horns with Martin Sjogren’s side on Thursday 21 November at 17:45 (UK).