Aston Villa 0-6 Chelsea
by Emily Brown at the Bescot Stadium for Impetus (5/11/23).
Above: Chelsea celebrate on a day that brought joy on the pitch, but unexpected news off of it with boss Emma Hayes announcing she will depart at the end of the season. Photo: Chelsea FC Women.
There’s no stopping a relentless Chelsea as Villa fell to their fifth defeat in as many WSL matches this season.
Villa started off strong, but tides quickly turned with Millie Bright’s opener. At first glance, Jordan Nobbs kept a high press, consistently urging her team forward in the first half, keen to pursue a shot towards goal. Nobbs made an encouraging cross into the box, aiming for Rachel Daly’s head, but the striker couldn’t make the contact she needed. This theme, unfortunately for Villa, went on to reoccur throughout.
With the pace of Kirsty Hanson back as she made her return following suspension, Villa looked promising down the right-hand side, with Maz Pacheco also making auspicious runs forward, however, this partnership came to no avail as during the final stages of play the connection just didn’t seem to be there for Villa.
Despite not having Sam Kerr at Chelsea’s disposal due to only leaving Western Australia from international duty towards the end of the week, the West London side still managed to score a multitude of goals, each one by a different goal scorer.
The first goal came from Chelsea captain Millie Bright, who made her 250th appearance for the Blues. The move started with Jessie Fleming sending a long ball in from outside the box landing for Mia Fishel. Fishel headed it twice towards goal, but the West-Midlands side couldn’t stop the third attempt made by Bright.
Along Chelsea’s left wing ran a blossoming Niamh Charles. To Villa’s fault, she was left frequently unmarked, and Charles made the most of it, making several fantastic runs and crosses in towards Fran Kirby. Through this partnership, Kirby was able to make another attempt goalward before the break, but Villa’s Van Domselaar stepped up once again to keep Villa safe a little longer.
Chelsea just kept coming and this paid off when Kirby finally got the goal she was after. After passes between Rytting Kaneryd and Périsset, the ball shot across the centre of the goal, aiming for Fishel but spilled out for Kirby. The Blues’ attacker was initially denied by Dan Turner, but the central defender couldn’t get it away far enough as Kirby’s second shot saw the back of the net.
Midfielder Erin Cuthbert fancied herself a bit of the action and confidently struck from distance. The attempt was saved by the Villan’s goalkeeper almost straight after blocking a shot from Jessie Fleming, highlighting where Villa were struggling defensively as they failed to react quick enough.
Straight away in the second period, Villa’s defence was called into action after Chelsea passed the ball around the final third. Kirby struck the back of the net, but the shot was eventually ruled offside. Despite Pacheco and Hanson working hard for Villa, desperately trying to create something for their side, Rytting Kaneryd scored the visitors’ third goal of the game, and from then on the floodgates opened.
Emma Hayes brought on substitutes Ashley Lawrence and Aggie Beever-Jones, both writing their names on the scoresheet. With just under 20 minutes left to play, the once again unmarked Charles nestled the ball nicely into the net scoring Chelsea’s final goal of the game and also her first of the campaign.
A lot of Villa’s problems in this match came from a lack of good decision-making defensively and clinical nature in the final stages of play, particularly that on the left side of the pitch that even the experienced Daly couldn’t remedy.
The away section of Bescot Stadium was loud and proud. With Chelsea’s performance ending the way it did, understandably, the Blues fans refused to simmer down. Chelsea have taken points away from all five games they’ve played so far, winning them all except for their draw against Manchester City.
The Blues have now moved up to the top of the table whereas Aston Villa stay down at the very bottom, no longer a place above Bristol City.
Teams: ASTON VILLA (4-3-3): Van Domselaar, Mayling, Patten, Staniforth, Lehmann, Nobbs, Daly, Turner, Blindkilde Brown, Hanson, Pacheco. Substitutes: Salmon, Corsie, Mcloughlin.
CHELSEA (3-4-3): Berger, Fishel, Bright, Nusken, Carter, Kirby, Périsset, Fleming, Rytting Kaneryd, Charles, Cuthbert. Substitutes: Beever – Jones, Buchanan, Cankovic. Lawrence, Mjelde.
Scorers: Bright 21’, Kirby 26’, Rytting Kaneryd 56’, Lawrence 63’, Beever-Jones 67’, Charles 73’.
Referee: Abi Byrne.
Attendance: 4,086.
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