Another victory on Sunday saw the reigning WSL champions solidify top spot, with them still to drop points this season
When Chelsea last met Manchester United in the Women's Super League, the Blues were scarily dominant, with Mayra Ramirez running the show in a 6-0 thumping at Old Trafford which sealed a fifth-successive title. Six months on, their meeting at a blustery Kingsmeadow on Sunday might not have been quite as devastating, but Ramirez's quality once again made an important difference in a 1-0 win which continues Sonia Bompastor's perfect start to life in London.
The new Chelsea head coach has now won all of her first 12 games in charge, with the only goal of this affair coming inside 17 minutes. It was a lovely bit of combination play between Ramirez and Maika Hamano which sent the former in behind a United defence that had conceded just twice in seven WSL games, and it was there that Phallon Tullis-Joyce, their impressive new No.1 goalkeeper, made a rare mistake in bringing down Chelsea's centre-forward. Up stepped Guro Reiten to arrow a penalty beyond the American and give the hosts the lead.
From there, the impetus was on the Red Devils to take the game to the reigning champions, but they could only do so in short flurries. Instead, it was Chelsea who often looked the more likely to add to the scoreline, with Erin Cuthbert, Nathalie Bjorn and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd among those to come close. There was a late scare for the home crowd when Melvine Malard smacked the woodwork in the final minutes, though in the end, another goal wasn't needed, with the Blues able to see the game out rather comfortably to move five points clear of second-placed Manchester City at the top of the WSL table.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Kingsmeadow…
Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence
Hannah Hampton (7/10):
Didn't have a great deal to do, but when she did, she came up big.
Lucy Bronze (7/10):
Tasked with more defending in this game, she stuck to her duties well and came up with a number of strong interventions.
Nathalie Bjorn (7/10):
Good on the ball and dominant in her duels.
Millie Bright (7/10):
Took a little bit of time to settle into the affair but once she did, she was brilliant.
Sandy Baltimore (7/10):
Continues to excel in an unnatural role. That's to be expected in an attacking sense, as a winger, yet it's her defensive work that really impresses.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield
Erin Cuthbert (7/10):
Battled brilliantly at the base of the midfield and kept the ball well.
Sjoeke Nusken (8/10):
Showcased the variety and range of her passing in a top-quality performance.
Maika Hamano (7/10):
Worked hard off the ball and was lively whenever she could get involved, most notably for the opening goal.
Getty ImagesAttack
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (6/10):
Didn't see a great deal of the ball but posed problems when she got it.
Mayra Ramirez (8/10):
Always gave the United defence something to think about with her movement off the ball and explosive dribbling.
Guro Reiten (7/10):
Cool as ice from the penalty spot to give Chelsea the win.
Subs & Manager
Aggie Beever-Jones (6/10):
Was positive when she got on the ball, though things didn't always come off for her.
Catarina Macario (7/10):
Offered a great hold-up option in a central position, able to pop the ball off to team-mates in and around the box. Delivered good set-pieces, too.
Sonia Bompastor (8/10):
Trusted the same XI which beat Manchester City last week and they delivered a fantastic first half. As United started to get back into things after the break, Bompastor did not hesitate with her subs, acting before the hour mark to successfully wrestle back the momentum.
