Right, that’s all from me. But there’s more WSL action incoming, and Daniel Harris is on that one. Bye!
Chelsea had 38 touches in Leicester’s box. Leicester had one touch in Chelsea’s.
Final score: Chelsea 2-0 Leicester
90+6 mins: It’s all over! Leicester were extremely impressive, evidently very well coached and fully committed, but Chelsea’s attacking quality came through in the end.
GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Leicester (Kirby, 90+5 mins)
The goal kick is flicked on by Harder, headed on by Kerr, and Kirby runs onto it, takes it into the area, and shoots low past Levell!
90+4 mins: Leicester pump a free kick forwards, and even after Chelsea win the header they have an attacking throw-in. Can they end the day with a shot on target? Not on this evidence, and the ball runs out of play for a goal kick.
90+2 mins: McManus deliberately stops Kerr turning for what would have been a run on goal from just inside the Leicester half. Chelsea take their time over the free-kick.
90+1 mins: There will be about five minutes of stoppage time.
89 mins: Leicester bring Sophie Howard on for Sigsworth, who limps over to the bench.
88 mins: The sun has come out at Kingsmeadow - even the weather supports Chelsea there. Chelsea pass the ball around the defence, the first time this half they haven’t been desperately flinging it forwards.
87 mins: This would be Emma Hayes’ 100th WSL win, in her 151st game.
84 mins: Leicester pump the ball forwards, and Nouwen scuffs her clearance straight into Bailey-Gayle, very nearly gifting the visitors a wonderful goalscoring opportunity - but Musovic gets to the loose ball first!
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Leicester (Harder, 83 mins)
Harder makes the breakthrough! The corner is taken short and eventually worked back to Fleming on the right, whose low cross is turned in by Harder at the near post.
82 mins: Chelsea’s 15th corner is cleared. No16 incoming.
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80 mins: Chelsea’s 13th corner is plucked out of the air by Levell.
78 mins: Tierney is down, and the physio comes on to see to her. The last 15 minutes or so have been an ever-intensifying whirlwind from Chelsea, but this might shift the momentum.
77 mins: Harder volleys over from the edge of the area.
75 mins: Reiten’s cross from a free kick on the left is headed high by Kirby, with Harder better placed behind her.
74 mins: Leicester have still only touched the ball in the Chelsea box once.
73 mins: Erin Cuthbert comes on for Eriksson for Chelsea, whose play is becoming increasingly frenetic as the breakthrough continues to elude them.
72 mins: Chelsea’s 11th corner (Leicester’s corner count remains stuck on none) ends with Harder sending a curling shot just wide.
70 mins: Leicester take off Flint and O’Brien and bring on Bailey-Gayle and De Graaf.
68 mins: Another pull-back from the left, from Reiten this time, runs to Fleming whose shot is saved.
65 mins: Ingle and Andersson come off, and Ji and Reiten go on.
63 mins: Chelsea are preparing a couple more substitutions, with Ji and Reiten getting ready to come on.
60 mins: What a stop from Levell! Kirby crosses from the left, Kerr thumps in a header from six yards and it hits Levell in the face and spins over the bar!
59 mins: A real chance for Chelsea! Eriksson cuts back from the left to Kirby, who cuts it even further back to Fleming, who only had to put it either side of the keeper but instead sidefoots straight at her!
58 mins: Both sides are looking more likely to score since the break. Ingle pings a low shot goalwards from 23 yards or so, which deflects just wide.
56 mins: Leicester have a moment: Pike plays the ball through to Sigsworth, but it’s just too strong and Musovic comes out to claim.
54 mins: Eriksson’s cross from the left lands on the roof of the net with Levell flapping to make sure it doesn’t dip in. Seconds later Kirby’s chipped shot is easily caught.
52 mins: Sigsworth stays down after that clearance, but after a couple of minutes’ treatment to her left wrist she’s back up.
50 mins: Off the line! Chelsea’s eighth corner of the match is headed goalwards by Eriksson, deflects off a defender and looks to be bouncing gently in before Sigsworth hooks it away from under the bar!
48 mins: Leicester have their second shot, but Pike’s 25-yard half-volley goes well over the bar.
46 mins: Peeeep! Chelsea get the game re-started. England and Spence are off, Kerr and Harder are on.
... and potentially Pernille Harder as well.
Looks like Sam Kerr is getting ready to come on.
Half time: Chelsea 0-0 Leicester
45+3 mins: And that’s the final action of the half. Leicester have defended excellently to keep Chelsea at arm’s length, and though they’ve barely attacked and had little possession, the score is a fair reflection of the game. It’s all very encouraging, at least until they look at some of the names on the Chelsea bench.
45+3 mins: Bright swings the ball into the box fom deep and Levell comes out to get it, runs into her own defender - who was busy marking England - drops it, and is hugely fortunate to get a free kick.
Updated
45+2 mins: Leicester just crossed the ball. Sure, it had rolled just over the goalline when Pike sent it in, but it’s a reminder that there is an attack there that might at some point spring to life.
45+1 mins: Leicester are two minutes of stoppage time away from going into the break with the scores level.
43 mins: Chance! Chelsea’s seventh corner is headed goalwards from deep by Bright, headed back out to her by Plumptre, and then absolutely hammered by Bright, but wide of the near post.
38 mins: Chelsea have had six shots, of which three have been on target. Leicester have only had one shot, which was a bit useless, but that Chelsea have actually had so few shots despite 69% possession is another sign of Leicester’s defensive nous.
35 mins: Kirby is released down the left, cuts inside the sliding McManus - who after she falls flings out a hand, apparently in an attempt to haul her opponent down, which luckily misses - but Plumptre is across well to provide back-up.
34 mins: Chelsea have a couple of corners, the first low and not very good, the second a better delivery, but still Leicester hold firm.
31 mins: Leicester are having to deal with almost constant pressure. They have done very well not to crack, but it’s starting to feel like a matter of time.
28 mins: There’s a chance! Bright lifts the ball into the area and Kirby runs behind her marker, who has completely switched off, but miscues her header!
26 mins: Leicester are a well motivated and well organised side. They haven’t offered a huge amount of goal threat but they are defending their area well, and while Chelsea have had a few shots there haven’t been any clear goalscoring opportunities.
23 mins: Levell gives the ball away with a poor pass, but Kirby is fouled as soon as she picks it up. From the free kick, Nouwen’s meaty header is straight back at Levell.
20 mins: Ingle plays an excellent pass to Kirby, lurking just inside Leicester’s penalty area, but she’s closed down before the can shoot.
Updated
19 mins: Now Erikssen is down, after being clipped in the heel and then, as both players went to ground, kneed in the back by Flint.
16 mins: Leicester’s first shot comes from Sigsworth, about 25 yards from goal, and goes well wide. At the other end, Levell is down and pointing a physio towards her left thigh.
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12 mins: Now Fleming has a long-range shot and Levell, who is already having a busy afternoon, turns it round the post.
11 mins: Even closer from Charles! Fleming crosses from the left and Charles, beyond the far post, heads back across goal but just wide of the back stick.
10 mins: A lovely Chelsea attack but the final ball across to Charles, bursting into the area on the right, is a little strong and with Purfield closing her down the first-time shot flies wide.
9 mins: Leicester’s last two attacks have ended with either Flint or Sigsworth running back to get the ball from deep but being caught offside anyway.
5 mins: The ball is pulled back by Charles to Kirby, and she sends the ball curling towards the far post. It’s not entirely clear whether she intended this as a cross or a shot, but it misses the goal by a smidgeon with Levell scrambling hopelessly across her goalline.
4 mins: Leicester push forward and Cain plays the ball into the area for Flint, who instantly decides she can’t reach it and stops running, which Cain is obviously unimpressed by.
3 mins: Chelsea are already on the front foot. An early corner is headed away.
Today we linked arms ahead of our kick-off to show solidarity with the players in the @NWSL. 👊 pic.twitter.com/KkS6DQchIp
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) October 10, 2021
1 min: Peeeeeep! Leicester get the game started.
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Out come the players! And for that matter the coaching teams, with Leicester’s including a grinning Emile Heskey.
The managers have a chat with Sky. First, Emma Hayes on her selection process:
Trust the squad. They’ve been amazing all the way through the season so far and when you have so many games in quick succession it’s not always the freshest in the legs, it’s freshest in the mind. We organise the team to perform in the first half, so this group have a job to do in the first half. We know we regularly make multiple subs who make an impact from the bench and I suspect that will be the same again today.
And then Leicester’s Jonathan Morgan:
Emma’s a fantastic tactician, she’ll make me think and hopefully I’ll make her think as well. The last thing I’ll say is: No fear, we are who we are, we have our own ability we need to insert into the game, but enjoy the opportunity because you never know when it will happen again.
Team news is filtering in, and here it is. Lots of changes for Chelsea:
Chelsea: Musovic, Nouwen, Bright, Ingle, England, Kirby, Eriksson, Fleming, Charles, Spence, Andersson. Subs: Berger, Carter, Leupolz, Ji, Reiten, Kerr, Cuthbert, Harder, Fox.
Leicester: Levell, Brougham, McManus, Plumptre, Purfield, O’Brien, Pike, Tierney, Cain, Flint, Sigsworth. Subs: Lambourne, Harris, De Graaf, Howard, Bailey-Gayle, Zajmi, Brown, Robinson.
Team news is in! 👊#CFCW pic.twitter.com/t0Dk2ruhRk
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) October 10, 2021
The Foxes' XI 👊#BarclaysFAWSL pic.twitter.com/47Dw4D6xWu
— LCFC Women (@LCFC_Women) October 10, 2021
Hello world!
A few years ago Leicester’s men’s team pulled off one of the great surprises in the history of football, winning the Premier League at 5,000-1 odds. Bookmakers rate the chance of their women’s side winning this single match at just 100-1, but really if they produce an upset at Kingsmeadow this afternoon it would be a jaw-dropping result of not-far-off comparable ridiculousness.
Chelsea, after all, are the two-time reigning champions, with a Kirby-Kerr-Harder frontline that is arguably the best in the game, who have lost two league matches since January 2019 and have won 11 of their last 13 league matches while conceding in only four. Leicester just got promoted, and have lost every one of their first four WSL matches by an aggregate score of 11-2. Plus, Chelsea used up an entire season’s worth of defensive calamity in their midweek 3-3 Champions League draw with Wolfsburg so the Foxes are unlikely to have any of that either.
But, it’s football, so who knows?
