Match report
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Hayes: “I wasn’t happy at half-time; I had a few words with the players about the level of expectations.
“Everybody has to be at it all the time, which is difficult when you don’t get many minutes.
“I wasn’t happy but a great response in the second half. When a manager criticises you, it’s great to shove it down their throat.
The second goal.
What a strike partnership! 💙@frankirby and @samkerr1 combine for the 10th time this season! 🤝#BarclaysFAWSL pic.twitter.com/y2FL2rc7vk
— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) March 28, 2021
Aston Villa never looked like scoring but they kept their shape well and were very disciplined. Bignot’s side do look like they have enough about them to stay up.
Full-time: Chelsea 2-0 Aston Villa
It was all very, very easy for Chelsea as they brushed aside Aston Villa without having to make much effort, to be honest. Kerr took her goals well but Villa were not much of an opponent. Emma Hayes will be pleased with the simple nature of today’s win, going into their Champions League second leg in midweek.
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90 mins: Aston Villa get a corner but whack it straight out for a goal-kick.
Three minutes added on.
88 mins: Not much of going through the motions left here.
86 mins: Harder drives forward but cannot get beyond Asante and N’Dow, with the latter whacking the ball clear.
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84 mins: Bright tries to ping one over the top but Ji can only flick it into Weiss’ arms.
82 mins: Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass. Chelsea are cruising here.
80 mins: Redmond Grimes says: “For me Ji is the silkiest smoothest player in the women’s game. Such vision and passing ability.”
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78 mins: Sub Beever-Jones gets into the box but N’Dow comes across to force the ball out for a corner.
Eriksson takes the set-piece but it misses everyone.
76 mins: Ji has to jump over the hoardings to retrieve the ball but crawls back through a gap to return to the pitch.
74 mins: Weiss collects Ji’s free-kick but only succeeds in whacking it to her opposite number.
McLoughlin is booked for taking down Leupolz. The Villa player looks very tired.
72 mins: Ji is pushed over by N’Dow. The Chelsea player has been the best player on the pitch, for me.
70 mins: Just introducing my three-month-old daughter to football here. She has decided to try to eat her firefly toy instead. Should I stop her?
68 mins: Chelsea are getting a touch cocky here, as Musovic and Bright pass it between themselves in the area, resulting in the goalkeeper kicking the ball against a Villa player but they get away with it.
66 mins: Aston Villa are, unsurprisingly, looking very tired here. This could be an underwhelming finally 25 minutes or so.
64 mins: Chelsea will just be looking to conserve a bit of energy here, as indicated by how much they are passing it around the back.
62 mins: Kerr should have her after a long ball from Bright is collected by Harder, who sends it on for the Australian but she snatches at her shot and it trickles wide. Kerr is immediately substituted, I assume it’s unrelated to the miss. Leupolz is on.
59 mins: All change for Chelsea, as Harder, Spence and Charles come on.
GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Aston Villa (Kerr, 57)
An absolute shambles at the back for Villa. Kirby lays the ball into Kerr to take forward, before trying to find Fleming with a through ball but she puts too much weight on the pass, meaning Ale is given the chance to clear, instead she lets it go back to Weiss, who under pressure hits the ball to Kirby, who lays it to Kerr to convert from 12 yards.
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55 mins: Villa have a shot! Arthur picks up the ball 25 yards from goal, gets it out of her feet and whacks a shot towards the top corner but Musovic holds onto it well.
53 mins: Asante has already been caught out a couple of times in this half, purely dye to her lack of pace. It could be another long 45 minutes for Villa.
Kirby is the latest to breeze past Asante who is lucky to not clip the Chelsea forward in the box but the Blues player pings the ball into the send netting when in a good position.
51 mins: Even when Villa do get the chance to put a foot on the ball and move forward, they generally panic and pick the wrong pass.
49 mins: Ale drives forward down the left and gets into a dangerous position but then calmly passes the ball out for a Chelsea goal kick.
47 mins: We have started where we left off with Chelsea having all of the ball.
Second half
Here we go again!
Want some half-time reading? No? Well read my piece prior to Albania v England anyway.
Half-time: Chelsea 1-0 Aston Villa
The hosts have been on top from start to finish in the opening 45 minutes. The goal was deserved but Chelsea have barely got out of second gear. Aston Villa just do not have the personnel to make this a contest.
45 mins: Two minutes added time.
44 mins: Reiten’s corner barely gets off the ground but does work its way through to Eriksson on the edge of the six-yard box, only for the skipper to miscue her shot to send it wide.
42 mins: Villa are yet to have a shot on goal. I am not sure they will have one at this rate.
40 mins: Very much all Chelsea in possession still.
38 mins: Reiten swings a free-kick into the box from the left but Asante is in the right position to head clear.
36 mins: Kirby dispossess a Villa midfielder, then slings the ball over the top for Kerr who ends up one-on-one with Weiss but the goalkeeper comes out and smother the shot. The ball ends up back with Kirby 15 yards out but her shot goes half a yard wide.
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34 mins: Aston Villa are being a touch more aggressive in midfield and attack, which is good to see a they were quite passive in the opening half hour.
32 mins: Chelsea pass it around the back but panic when Villa add some pressure, resulting in goalkeeper Musovic kicking the ball straight out of play. It is a sign, at least, that Chelsea can be got at.
30 mins: The referee gets in the way as Villa try to start an attack. Not much going in Villa’s favour her.
28 mins: Ewers’ race is run due to the calf injury.
26 mins: Can Villa come back from that? I very much doubt it. They have looked very much second best, which is no surprise.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Aston Villa (Kerr, 24)
It was coming! Kirby lifts the ball into the box, Kerr gets in front of the defender and flicks the lofted pass towards the back post, where it pings off the woodwork and lands in the back of the net. Weiss thought it was going wide by the looks of it, so left it alone. Not the best from the ‘keeper.
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22 mins: With plenty of options on Bright tries to dissect the Villa defence, but only succeeds in flashing a pass straight to Weiss.
20 mins: Carter swings in another cross from the right, Weiss thinks about coming but returns to her line, causing a little panic in the defence, as Asante slices her clearance. The danger is eventually removed.
18 mins: The ball is sent over the top for Kerr to chase, she gets beyond the defence but is stretching when she makes contact and can only help it into the arms of Weiss.
16 mins: Villa skipper Ewers is down with what looks like a calf injury. It is unlikely she will be able to run that off. A big blow for Villa.
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14 mins: It is all Chelsea now and only a matter of time before they open the scoring, in my opinion. Villa are defending valiantly but really can’t find an out ball to help relieve the pressure, so it’s a bit of an onslaught.
12 mins: Villa clear the ball to the edge of their both where Fleming picks it up and hits a shot towards goal but it is flicked over by a defender.
10 mins: Chelsea are putting a lot of pressure on the Villa players whenever they get the ball. The visitors are not coping particularly well with being rushed in possession.
8 mins: Villa get a free-kick on the right flank. The ball is lumped into the box but Bright wins the header and the ball lashed downfield, ending up with Weiss in her own box.
6 mins: Villa’s plan to lump it into the channels might work a touch better if they had a willing runner. Currently, they are just hitting Chelsea defenders.
Ji shows her quality in the middle of the park to jink past a couple of Villa players before sliding a ball through for Kerr but the Australian is ruled offside.
4 mins: The process so far is that Chelsea enjoy some patient buildup, get to the edge of the box and lose possession, Villa look to whack it into the channels and it comes straight back at them.
2 mins: Carter pings a cross into the box from the right for Kerr to attack but the Australian is beaten to the ball by a claret and blue shirt. The early indications are Chelsea that will have the majority of the ball.
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Kick-off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!
Almost ready to go in south London. It is overcast and not particularly warm, I can confirm.
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Can we have more goals like this today, please?
Wow! 🤩 @VivianneMiedemapic.twitter.com/HUfM3gkJgv
— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) March 27, 2021
Half century up.
𝟓𝟎 Chelsea appearances for @Guro_Reiten today! 💙
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) March 28, 2021
Congratulations, Guro! 👏 #CFCW pic.twitter.com/od22OmEutj
Sophie Ingle has called on Chelsea to have a fast start this afternoon.
“We’ve seen this season that every game is tough, and each game presents us with different challenges,” Ingle said.
“The league has got so much more competitive. We know Villa will be another difficult game for us so it’s vital that we start the game well.
“Starting the game with a high energy is key to producing a strong performance and getting the three points.”
Yesterday’s action ...
Starting lineups
Chelsea: Musovic, Blundell, Bright, Carter, Ji, Reiten, Kirby, Eriksson, Fleming, Kerr, Cuthbert
Subs: Telford, Ingle, Leupolz, Charles, Harder, Spence, Andersson, Fox, Beever-Jones
Aston Villa: Weiss, Franklin-Fraiture, Asante, Ewers, Hutton, Ale, Follis, Hanssen, Arthur, McLoughlin, Iwabuchi
Subs: Rogers, N’Dow, West, Siems, Syme, Gregory, Silva, Hayles
Preamble
Chelsea are looking to go back to the top of the table here. They are strong favourites to win, having not lost in their last eight games, not to mention an impressive Champions League win over Wolfsburg in the week.
Manchester City hit top spot after beating Reading yesterday thanks to a last-gasp Chloe Kelly winner. Emma Hayes’ side are just one point behind with today’s game in hand, so should be first come the end of play.
Aston Villa have won just three times all season, so will be anticipating a tough fixture. On paper this is a foregone conclusion and Villa do not have much hope of achieving anything more than respectability, but you never know in this game.
Here’s to a fun match.
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