Manchester City ended Chelsea’s 28-game unbeaten run under Sonia Bompastor at the Joie Stadium on Wednesday evening. A second half brace from substitute Vivianne Miedema saw Nick Cushing’s side gain an solid 2-0 advantage after the first leg in their Champions League quarter-final.
Chelsea lifted the first silverware of the season with a narrow victory over Manchester City. Mayra Ramírez’s opener was cancelled out by a brilliant Aoba Fujino strike before an unfortunate late own goal from Yui Hasegawa proved the difference late on.
Ella Toone, Sonia Bompastor and Vivianne Miedema have picked up the Barclays WSL awards for January.
Aston Villa’s problems deepened significantly as they sunk to a 6-0 defeat against Chelsea on a miserable afternoon in Walsall. First half strikes from Millie Bright and Fran Kirby set the current champions on their way. Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Ashley Lawrence, Aggie Beever-Jones and Niamh Charles added goals in the second to secure an emphatic victory.
“That’s why we’re champions” echoed around Kingsmeadow on the final whistle as Chelsea once again showed their mettle to overcome a potential banana skin on Wednesday night. In a must-win encounter, the Blues came from behind against Liverpool to take all three points. A 2-1 victory in dramatic fashion ensured their title chase remained on track and in their control.
The conclusion of the 12th edition of the Continental Cup promises to be an occasion bigger than ever before. A London derby, an intense rivalry, and a packed out Selhurst Park will see records broken and the season’s first silverware handed out.
Chelsea reached their sixth Continental Cup semi-final in as many seasons as they eased past Tottenham at Brisbane Road. A brace from Sam Kerr and strike from Fran Kirby set Emma Hayes’ side up for a 3-1 victory over their London rivals.
“There is a maturity to the team that’s coming through in each performance,” stated Emma Hayes after Chelsea secured their third victory of the 2022/23 Champions League campaign.
While it wasn’t a scintillating performance as the Blues saw their way through a potentially tricky Real Madrid encounter, it was one that was controlled and well managed. As Hayes pointed out, Chelsea’s experience showed as she labelled her group “the best team” she’s had. “When these teams are so evenly matched, I’m starting to see the benefit of our experience,” she said. “Look at my group and the leaders in my group. I thought two years ago, we had a decent amount of experience, but this team is another level.”
The second night of Champions League action saw Chelsea travel to Paris for a highly anticipated encounter against PSG. They edged to a 1-0 victory thanks to a first half goal from Millie Bright, completing a successful week for English teams in France.
England U19s face Germany in their final group game of Euro 2022 on Sunday evening. With a win and defeat in their opening two matches, they know that a victory is what is needed to see them progress to the semi-finals.