5 hundred and eighty 5 days. 34 Girls’s Tremendous League video games. Lastly, Chelsea’s unbeaten home league run is at an finish.
On a day when Manchester Metropolis toiled earlier than discovering a solution to win, Chelsea had been unable to do the identical.
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The upshot is that Metropolis are actually six factors clear on the high of the WSL, and immediately a primary league title since 2016 looks as if it’s theirs to lose.
In fact, it will be silly to make any last calls now. Metropolis followers will wince remembering the top of 2023-24, when noticed the title slip kind their grasp into Chelsea’s arms.
That defeat got here after the Blues appeared to have misplaced their grip on the trophy with It was the final time they’d misplaced within the WSL, till Sunday.
That was when Everton, the opposite Merseyside crew, at Kingsmeadow which lacked the objectives of the sport on Could 1, 2024, however was no much less missing in drama.
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Sonia Bompastor’s first WSL defeat got here in a sport throughout which Chelsea had 30 pictures on objective, 18 corners and 61 touches within the Everton field.
“You could possibly see that frustration and possibly that little little bit of self-doubt and with that, they began to grab at possibilities and we noticed that a bit of bit within the second half and later within the sport,” former England worldwide Fara Williams informed BBC Sport. “You could possibly see the arrogance deteriorating with this Chelsea crew within the second half.
“We created alternatives to win the sport, so it is actually disappointing end result,” Bompastor informed the BBC. “That occurs generally in soccer, it was not a foul efficiency, however at the moment we could not rating and win the sport.
“When you have a look at the stats when it comes to possession, possibilities created and different stats, we had full management of the sport. The one factor was we could not rating.”
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It appeared within the last phases that they’d play till Chelsea scored, with play persevering with past the allotted further time as Toffees boss Brian Sorensen waved and roared in frustration on the sidelines.
However, with the crossbar nonetheless shaking from Sandy Baltimore’s 98th-minute free-kick, referee Rebecca Welch blew her whistle and the run was over.
‘They obtained a bit of bit determined’
In fact, Chelsea’s title goals aren’t over. However this defeat was coming.
They’ve now did not win of their final three league video games – drawing at Arsenal and backside membership Liverpool earlier than the worldwide break – and solely twice of their final six.
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Chelsea’s squad is filled with expertise, however it has weaknesses. Baltimore, extra comfy as a ahead, was uncovered at left again for the objective as she was crushed all finally ends up by Toni Payne.
Payne lower the ball throughout for Honoka Hayashi to faucet right into a internet left empty by Livia Peng, who had been unable to collect as she got here off her line. The Swiss keeper is deputising for injured Hannah Hampton – and whereas succesful, isn’t any alternative for the most effective primary on the planet.
In midfield, Chelsea missed the chew of Erin Cuthbert. Keira Walsh was deployed as the only holding participant, and doesn’t have the mobility or physicality of the Scot.
“The larger image is the league, the unbeaten run was good however we wish to win the league, and dropping factors is not going to assist that,” Walsh informed the BBC.
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“Man Metropolis are an ideal crew, we have got to play them once more. We have to focus, hold our heads down. We have some robust video games, we have to hold working exhausting.”
On 55 minutes, Lauren James was subbed off for Sam Kerr. These are names which often would strike terror into opposition hearts, however each are nonetheless discovering full health after accidents, and neither had been high of their sport on Sunday.
When Chelsea have struggled beforehand of their unbeaten run, they’ve turned to particular person brilliance. On this fixture final season, Everton appeared set for a creditable 1-1 draw earlier than Not this time.
By the top, Chelsea had been working on a wing and a prayer. A complete of 53 crosses attests to that.
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“That is the place they obtained a bit of bit determined as time was ticking down,” mentioned Williams. “They had been placing the ball in areas.
“They’ll create possibilities, they did it in opposition to Arsenal, Liverpool. They simply cannot convert.”
Chelsea had 30 pictures in opposition to Everton however solely six of them had been on the right track [Getty Images]
Man Metropolis have the momentum
Let’s examine to Manchester Metropolis. Earlier, Metropolis had struggled for 70 minutes in opposition to Leicester earlier than discovering the breakthrough, and
Like Chelsea, the supervisor Andree Jeglertz turned to his bench for inspiration, and a ahead getting back from damage.
However whereas Kerr was unable to vary the sport for Chelsea, Kerolin made all of the distinction at King Energy Stadium.
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The Brazilian has blown cold and warm within the WSL, however right here added important tempo and urgency to a Metropolis assault which had grown one-note and low on concepts.
Khadija Shaw, who had spurned a number of earlier possibilities, discovered herself with extra space as Kerolin drew defenders and scored twice late on. She even supplied a stoppage time help for the Brazilian to deservedly get on the scoresheet.
“We had a variety of possibilities within the first half however at half-time we spoke about that it should come and be affected person and after we get the possibility put it behind the online,” Shaw informed Sky Sports activities.
Whereas the WSL continues to be a league with a divide between haves and have-nots, those who have nonetheless want guile and adaptableness to beat sides decrease within the division.
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Metropolis proved they’d that at Leicester. That is why they’ve misplaced simply considered one of their previous 26 Girls’s Tremendous League video games in opposition to groups that completed the earlier season within the backside half or had been newly promoted – a 2-1 loss away to Everton in December final 12 months.
That’s now 9 wins in a row for Metropolis. In such a brief season – 22 video games, for the ultimate time – momentum makes a variety of distinction, and at present the Residents have all of it.
Whether or not they can carry that on till February 1, when Chelsea come to down, may very well be decisive in the place the title goes.
Or possibly not? With Chelsea’s unbeatable spell now totally damaged, they have to react instantly and guarantee they’re nonetheless within the race by then.
Kerolin scored late on to cap Manchester Metropolis’s 3-0 win away to Leicester [Getty Images]
[BBC]
Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are again for one more season of the Girls’s Soccer Weekly podcast. New episodes drop each Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus discover interviews and further content material from the Girls’s Tremendous League and past on the