Chelsea’s unbeaten run under manager Sonia Bompastor came to a limp end at the Academy Stadium as two goals from the majestic Vivianne Miedema earned Manchester City a 2-0 lead over their bitter rivals in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
In the second of four consecutive meetings between the two teams, a gutsy performance from an injury-hit City and two goals from the WSL record goalscorer gave them an assured lead going into next Thursday’s second leg at Stamford Bridge.
What strategy do you use in the second of four chess matches against the same opponent? Ultimately, with Miedema on the pitch it doesn’t really matter.
City had caused Chelsea plenty of problems in their League Cup final defeat to Sonia Bompastor’s side at Pride Park, edging possession stats and accruing 36 touches in the opposition’s box to Chelsea’s 15.
Temporary manager Nick Cushing, brought back in ahead of this run of four games between the sides following the sacking of Gareth Taylor, would have had a legitimate case for sticking to the same formula adopted in Derby. However, enforced changes meant that was not an option.
If the odds were stacked in unbeaten Chelsea’s favour, they were weighted further their way when the team news arrived. Cushing’s side were without influential striker Khadija Shaw and Aoba Fujino, the scorer of City’s equaliser in their 2-1 loss to Bompastor’s side in the cup final on Saturday. Meanwhile, former Arsenal forward Vivianne Miedema was named on the bench.
For Chelsea, players returned, with Keira Walsh and Aggie Beever-Jones named in the starting XI ahead of Sjoeke Nüsken and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd.
Cushing had said that the cup final defeat was “fuel for this team” going into the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals and they did well to contain Chelsea with their injury-hit squad in the first half – Lauren Hemp and Alex Greenwood long-term absences.
They had chances too, with six shots to Chelsea’s two despite the visiting team seeing much more of the ball. If they were fuelled up though, there wasn’t a huge amount of evidence of it. This was a cagey encounter, Beever-Jones arguably the most dynamic player on the pitch, making a statement on the right and forming a cohesive partnership with right-back Lucy Bronze.
There will naturally be a drop in intensity from a final over 90 minutes to a two-legged tie, but Chelsea’s failure to capitalise on a depleted City will be a concern – albeit a small one for a team unbeaten in all competitions this season. Bompastor had promised the London team would “attack the game” but they struggled in the final third, Mayra Ramírez, who scored the opener against City on Saturday and in the WSL in November, threatened but was profligate in the opening 45 minutes.
Neither coach happy, there were changes at the break, Miedema returned to the pitch in place of City youngster Lily Murphy and Wieke Kaptein replaced US international Catarina Macario for the visiting team.
The second half was more frenetic, the opportunity to take a lead to Stamford Bridge next week the carrot. Kerolin, making her Champions League debut, sent in a cross that was narrowly missed by the head of Miedema in the first clear-cut chance after the break and suddenly the momentum was with the home team, the crowd roaring to life.
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Moments later and the ball was in the back of the net, Chelsea cleared a corner only as far as Mary Fowler who pinged the ball back into the box, Laia Aleixandri powered it off the crossbar and Miedema was on hand to turn in. Three minutes later and Miedema was testing Hannah Hampton again, her shot kept out by the goalkeeper.
The palpable tension in the crowd lifted with the goal from the Dutch forward, and the pace came out of the game a little as City stifled Chelsea’s attack over and over.
Just before the 70-minute mark and the pocket of Chelsea fans burst to life as Ramírez found the back of the net, only to be jeered by their rivals as the offside flag went up. It was the forward’s last action of the game, Maika Hamano replacing her.
Hamano was lively, but with the clock ticking towards a first defeat under Bompastor City still looked the more threatening side, every attack dangerous as Chelsea poured forward in search of the leveller.
With 10 minutes remaining and Chelsea throwing the kitchen sink at City’s back line, Rytting Kaneryd clipped an effort off the crossbar and Ayaka Yamashita smothered the follow-up effort from Hamano in their most potent attack.
Miedema would pounce again in the 89th minute to extend the lead and put Chelsea under real pressure going into Sunday’s WSL tie against City and the UWCL second leg next week, collecting Kerolin’s ball and rifling it into the bottom corner.
Chelsea looked a little shell shocked. How will Bompastor’s side cope following defeat? It’s staggering that we don’t know yet, their record to this point remains hugely impressive, but we will find out amid the most gruelling run of games.
