Chelsea have inflicted a first league defeat of the season on Manchester United with The Blues running out 3-1 winners at The Leigh Sports Village this evening.
Sam Kerr, Lauren James and Erin Cuthbert got the goals for the South West Londoners as they continued their recent unbeaten run in all competitions.
As rain streamed down on a floodlit Leigh Sports Village, fans also flooded in to witness reigning Barclays Women’s Super League champions Chelsea face one of the early front runners for top spot in Manchester United. Following Arsenal’s victory over Leicester City earlier in the day, The Red Devils sat second in the table, still having not conceded a goal. In contrast, this evening’s opponents Chelsea had bounced back strongly from their shock opening day defeat to Liverpool. This run saw them gradually climb up to third, breathing down the necks of their latest opponents. A huge three points were up for grabs as Manchester United looked to prove that they are serious contenders this season while Chelsea were seeking to put to bed any doubts that they could reclaim their silverware once again.
It was a cagey opening half with the rhythm of the match broken by several stoppages due to injuries. The best moment of the first 45 minutes came early on when Alessia Russo cut the ball back for her England teammate Ella Toone. The Manchester United number seven shot first time and her effort deflected towards goal but visiting keeper Ann-Katrin Berger somehow scrambled the ball away before Nikita Parris could only turn the rebound wide.
What may have been viewed as a dull affair by many in the first half was anything but in the second. The hosts started the stronger but a careless pass from Millie Turner put the Manchester United defence under pressure. A pass from Sophie Ingle found Kerr and when you give a player of her class that kind of opportunity, there’s only going to be one outcome. The Australian international drilled the ball low and hard through Maya Le Tissier’s legs and left Mary Earps stranded in the Manchester United goal. That was the first goal that Marc Skinner’s side had conceded in the league this season and the second quickly followed.
Kerr raced in-behind down the left and cut the ball back for James. The England youngster has many fond memories at The Leigh Sports Village in the red of Manchester United, however, now she was making some new memories in the Chelsea blue as she coolly side-footed the ball into the far corner of the net.
United needed a response and they needed it quick if they were to get anything from the game. Thankfully for them, when you have a player of Russo’s quality leading the line, there’s always a chance. A through ball from Toone picked out her Lionesses compatriot and she made no mistake in slotting the ball into the bottom corner.
The hosts continued to push hard for the equaliser but the game was put to bed when Cuthbert, who gave the ball away for the Russo goal, tried her luck from distance. The effort took a wicked deflection which took the ball away from Earps and restored Chelsea’s two-goal lead.
That was how the game finished, the home side were punished for their mistakes just when they were looking to be in the ascendency. Tonight’s result will now leave many wondering if The Red Devils do have the quality to sustain a top three push. Chelsea on the other hand, haven’t looked to be at their blistering best this season, yet they still seem to be able to grind out results. That may be a bad omen for the rest of the teams in the division as the South West Londoners could really kick on to new heights once things start to fully click. Nevertheless, they leapfrog today’s opponents into second place and will now have first-placed Arsenal firmly in their sights.