Full time: Chelsea 9-0 Bristol City
Peep peep! The referee Stacey Pearson puts Bristol City out of their misery. They were sadly outclassed by Chelsea, who took a while to get going but were ruthless when they did so. It was horribly one-sided. Pernille Harder came off the bench to get her first goal for Chelsea, while Fran Kirby scored her first WSL goal in 16 months. Chelsea have seen Arsenal’s 9-1 over West Ham and raised it.
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90+2 min Spence misses a great chance to make it 10-0, rolling a shot past the outrushing Baggaley that goes just wide of the post.
89 min Harder’s shot is comfortably saved by Baggaley. Arsenal won 9-1 yesterday, Chelsea are winning 9-0 today; it’s not ideal, but what can you do?
GOAL! Chelsea 9-0 Bristol City (Kerr 86)
Sam Kerr finally gets on the scoresheet with a confident finish! She ran onto Harder’s through ball, twisted inside Evans and swept the ball past Baggaley from eight yards.
85 min Another change for City. Laura Rafferty replaces Aimee Palmer.
84 min “How has Sam Kerr played today?” asks Patrick Wills. “She’s had a slow start to life at the club and Australian football fans down under would love to see her hit her stride and prove her worth to a wider audience. She is an excellent player when she’s on song.”
Pretty well, even though she’ll be frustrated that hasn’t scored. There are times when she’s been a bit too unselfish. She’s a better allround forward than I realised and is especially effective when she pulls out to the left.
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81 min Salmon has a rare half-chance for City, curling over from 15 yards.
80 min Ji is one of the few Chelsea players not to score, but she has had a brilliant game. Her passing, short and long, is so classy. Her work is done for today: she and Fran Kirby have been replaced by Jessie Fleming and Drew Spence.
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78 min Harder finds Ji, whose shot on the turn is flapped away by Baggaley. She has played pretty well, despite conceding eight.
75 min: Kerr hits the bar with a looping header from Eriksson’s cross.
GOAL! Chelsea 8-0 Bristol City (Harder 74)
Pernille Harder scores her first goal for Chelsea, and it’s a beauty. Charles played a give-and-go with Kerr and slid the ball across to Harder, who flicked it majestically behind her standing leg and past Baggaley. Pure class.
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73 min Another change for City: Faye Bryson replaces Flo Allen.
70 min Baggaley makes another good point-blank save, this time from Kerr.
GOAL! Chelsea 7-0 Bristol City (Charles 69)
Niamh Charles scores with her first touch as a Chelsea player! Pernille Harder made it, twisting Allen inside out before hitting a shot that was well saved by Baggaley. The rebound ran to Charles, who tapped it into the empty net.
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68 min “Do you think the level will even itself out over the years in this league?” asks Ruth Purdue. “I worry at the gap in victories and quality. I think it will, but may take time. Investment is a key factor too, in players and coaching. We shall see.”
There will always be inequality, I’d imagine, though the gap should close a little over time. I don’t think these huge margins of victory will be as common in 10 years’ time.
67 min A triple change for Chelsea: Pernille Harder, Niamh Charles and Maria Thorisdottir replace England, Mjelde and Leupolz.
GOAL! Chelsea 6-0 Bristol City (England 66)
Beth England gets her goal. Blundell’s sharp cross from the left was too hot for Baggaley, and England reacted smartly to crack a volley into the net.
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64 min Cuthbert’s corner finds its way through to the unmarked Leupolz at the far post, 12 yards from goal. She chests the ball up and hits a volley towards the near post that is excellently saved by the sprawling Baggaley.
61 min Ji’s cross is headed over by the stooping Kerr. The ball was just behind her, which is why she couldn’t steer it on target.
61 min Chelsea are 5-0 up and their front two of England and Kerr are yet to score.
60 min England plays a lovely reverse pass to Kirby, who drags a cross-shot just wide. Kerr almost got on the end of it at the far post.
58 min Leupolz’s long-range short on the turn goes high over the bar.
58 min “Hello Rob,” says Kári Tulinius. “I was paying attention to the game for about half an hour until family matters pulled me away. I turn my eyes away for fifteen minutes and came back to this. Chelsea were worth their one goal lead, but didn’t seem like they were miles better than Bristol. Did Chelsea find another gear, or did they just have a patch where everything they attempted succeeded?”
It was a strange spell really, they just scored from every attack. Two were fairly cheap set-piece goals, one a penalty and the other a cracking strike from Erin Cuthbert.
57 min A triple change for Bristol City: Ebony Salmon, Abi Harrison and Emma Bissell replace Wellings, Daniels and Humphrey.
54 min Ji’s fierce shot is blocked on the six-yard line. The Chelsea pressure is relentless.
52 min Kerr pulls out to the left and puts in a superb low cross that is sliced just wide by the stretching Kirby. That was another great chance.
49 min Bristol City’s high press is a thing of the past. They are camped in their own half now, just trying to limit the damage.
47 min Kirby almost makes it six with a close-range shot that is blocked by Evans.
46 min Peep peep! Chelsea begin the second half.
I’ve been trying to think what Sophie Baggaley’s goalkeeper kit reminds me of: it’s a Blockbusters board.
“Hi Rob,” writes Minega. “I’ve been following the game through your minute-by-minute commentary but considering where the game is heading, I think I’m going to have to actually watch the second half! I’m still keeping up with your commentary though.”
You and twos of others.
The draw for the 2019-20 FA Cup semi-finals has just taken place:
- Brighton or Birmingham v Everton or Chelsea
- Leicester or Manchester City v Arsenal or Tottenham
Half-time reading
Half time: Chelsea 5-0 Bristol City
Do not adjust your set. After a slowish start, Chelsea took Bristol City apart with four goals in 10 minutes. We’ll be back in a bit to see how many they can score in the second half.
45 min Cuthbert’s corner is headed over from 10 yards by Eriksson.
44 min Mjelde surges past Purfield, who recovers well to concede a corner. City have been all over the place at set-pieces today.
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GOAL! Chelsea 5-0 Bristol City (Bright 40)
It’s five! Mjelde’s free-kick from the right finds the criminally unmarked Bright, who heads past Baggaley from eight yards. Easy.
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38 min This is brutal. At this rate Chelsea could match Arsenal’s nine goals yesterday. England almost gets a fifth but misses an attempted flick at the near post from Kerr’s low cross.
GOAL! Chelsea 4-0 Bristol City (Cuthbert 36)
Three goals in six minutes! Ji finds Cuthbert in acres of space, 25 yards from goal, and she smacks a superb shot into the bottom corner.
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34 min That was a terrific goal. She got in front of her marker Purfield and thumped a header past Baggaley.
GOAL! Chelsea 3-0 Bristol City (Leupolz 33)
It’s another one! Cuthbert on the left swings a free-kick to the far post, where Melanie Leupolz scores with a spectacular flying header. It’s her first goal for Chelsea.
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GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Bristol City (Mjelde 31 pen)
Maren Mjelde blasts an emphatic penalty into the top-right corner. No keeper in the world would have saved that.
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Ah, maybe not. Daniels slid in from the side but Ji got to the ball first and was fouled. It was a penalty.
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PENALTY TO CHELSEA! Daniels has been penalised for fouling Ji, though I thought she got the ball.
30 min Bristol City are struggling to keep the ball, which means wave after wave of Chelsea attacks. A second goal feels inevitable.
27 min Kirby, who looks very lively, is fouled just outside the area by Mastrantonio. The free-kick is to the left of centre, and Ji clips it straight into Baggaley’s arms.
23 min We’ve just seen a replay of Bright’s chance in the 20th minute - I thought she hit the post but it looks like her shot actually hit Matthews on the line.
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22 min Kerr’s stinging shot is beaten away by Baggaley. That’s her best save of the match so far. I don’t think it will be her last.
20 min: Bright hits the post! Bristol City are hanging on to their 1-0 deficit. A left-wing corner was headed back across goal by Eriksson towards Bright, who took the ball down and battered it off the post from close range. Leupolz’s header was then scrambled away by the diving Baggaley. Bright’s was the big chance.
20 min Chelsea are starting to turn the screw. Kirby plays a one-two with Ji and forces the ball through to Kerr, who looks set to score when Purfield makes a vital sliding challenge.
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17 min Almost a second goal for Chelsea. Kerr lobs a pass over the defence to England, whose shot on the turn is saved by Baggaley. England didn’t quite get hold of it.
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GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Bristol City (Kirby 15)
A lovely moment for Fran Kirby, who scores her first WSL goal for 16 months! It was a mistake from Sophie Baggaley, who let the ball slither through her and into the net. While it was a good left-footed strike from Kirby on the edge of the area, Baggaley knows she should have saved it.
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15 min City are working so hard without the ball. It won’t be easy to sustain that intensity for 90 minutes, but so far their tactics have worked well.
13 min Leupolz twists away from Palmer, 25 yards from goal, and curls a good effort that drifts just wide of the far post. Baggaley had it covered.
12 min Anyone out there?
11 min England finds Kirby, who moves the ball on to the overlapping Mjelde down the right. Her cross takes a deflection and dribbles through to Baggaley, but these are good signs for Chelsea.
9 min Cuthbert hits a snap-volley well wide with her left foot. Chelsea are slowly finding their rhythm.
5 min The first half chance for Chelsea. Cuthbert and Keer combine nicely to find England, who drives over the bar from distance.
5 min It’s been an energetic start from City, who haven’t allowed Chelsea to settle. Five down, 85 to go.
3 min Bristol City are pressing from the front, which is a pretty brave tactic against this Chelsea team.
1 min Peep peep! Bristol City, in red and white, kick off from right to left. Chelsea are in blue.
The players were ready to go, but it’s only 12.28pm so they have to stand around awkwardly for 90 seconds.
It’s a beautiful day at Kingsmeadow, warm but with a pleasant cooling breeze.
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Blur’s Parklife is blasting out of the tannoy as the Bristol City players congregate in the tunnel. Phil Daniels has just been rudely awakened by the dustmen.
Possible formations
Chelsea (4-4-2) Berger; Mjelde, Bright, Eriksson, Blundell; Kirby, Ji, Leupolz, Cuthbert; England, Kerr.
Substitutes: Telford, Thorisdottir, Ingle, Carter, Reiten, Fleming, Charles, Harder, Spence.
Bristol City (4-2-3-1) Baggaley; Allen, Matthews, Evans, Purfield; Palmer, Mastrantonio; Humphrey, Logarzo, Daniels; Wellings.
Substitutes: Haaland, Bryson, Rafferty, Salmon, Bissell, Wilson, Harrison, Layzell, Jones.
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Pre-match reading
Team news
Beth England returns to the Chelsea starting line-up, but Pernille Harder stays on the bench for now.
Team news is in! 👊
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) September 13, 2020
Here's how the Blues line up against Bristol City...#CFCW pic.twitter.com/2UQWXwdtWZ
𝙏𝙀𝘼𝙈 𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎
— Bristol City WFC (@bristolcitywfc) September 13, 2020
Here's your Robins' starting XI to take on Chelsea. 👊#CHEBRC | #BristolCity pic.twitter.com/GJIQvIt94u
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Preamble
Hello. If you’re a potential title challenger, the first weeks of a new season are about statements as well as points. Arsenal made a mighty one by putting 15 goals past Reading and West Ham in their first two games; now Chelsea have the chance to respond at home to Bristol City.
Chelsea could have scored a few at Leigh Sports Village last week, but missed chances and were held to a 1-1 draw by Manchester United. This should – should – be a more comfortable afternoon against a team they have beaten heavily in recent seasons: the last three games between these sides finished 6-1, 4-0 and 6-0. Bristol City also started this season with a disappointing 4-0 defeat at home to Everton.
Pernille Harder, who came off the bench last weekend, could make her full debut for Chelsea. With or without Harder, they have plenty of firepower in Sam Kerr and the PFA player of the year Beth England. If Bristol City get a result today, it’ll be a famous one.
Kick off 12.30pm.
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