Chelsea 1-0 Aston Villa
by Tara Murray for Impetus at Kingsmeadow Stadium (21/09/24)
Above: Kingsmeadow awaiting the WSL opener Photo: ChelseaFCW on X
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd scored in the 36th minute to secure the first win of the season for Chelsea in a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa at Kingsmeadow.
Chelsea initiated the game applying high pressure from the whistle. However, Aston Villa showed great strength in their defensive tactics as while Chelsea made runs along the wings Villa were able to fend them off by keeping play pressed out to the sides and hindering Chelsea’s progression towards the box with the Blues struggling to create a shot on goal as a result.
Throughout the match, both teams struggled to create strong opportunities on goal. For Chelsea, this resulted from the constant high pressure they were placed under once they were able to enter the final third. Aston Villa utilised their physicality in a very efficient and productive way as they worked to block off potential passing angles while sliding in and prying the ball away from the feet of the Chelsea attackers. Through these tactics, Villa were able to deflect Chelsea’s high pressure regaining possession and driving play out of their box.
Despite the split of possession being fairly even, early in the game Villa spent most of the time in which they possessed the ball playing it back through their own half, the visitors seemed unable to progress past the middle of the pitch losing possession to the powerful Chelsea backline duo of Bronze and Bright. In the first half, Villa seemed to lack the creativity and variations in passing patterns needed to progress further down the pitch. They focused on moving down the centre channels of the pitch where there was a high concentration of Chelsea players preventing their progression, in order to have achieved more success Villa could have utilised the wings of the pitch and introduced more creative passing patterns to create spaces and opportunities for progressive movement.
As the game progressed both teams experienced difficulties in maintaining possession beyond the halfway line typically losing the ball just after entering the opposition half. After spotting these difficulties Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton adjusted her play and began to utilise long balls forward when play came out from the back. This tactical adjustment from Hampton opened up the game, allowing more forward play as the Blues were able to follow the ball out into spaces nearer to the box giving them more time on the ball when they did receive it and giving them more options with where to take the play.
The sole goal of the game came from Chelsea’s number 19, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd in the 36th minute. Kaneryd’s goal was a result of utilising speed, strength and technique she cut across the top of the box, away from the congregation of players on one side of the pitch and then dragged the ball behind herself onto her left foot where she powered it into the far side of the goal. This breakaway moment by Kaneryd demonstrated the importance of space within this game, where the pressure had been high and constant, Kaneryd created a split second of emptiness resulting in a spectacular finish. This piece of play highlights how important space and time were within this dynamic game.
Towards the end of the second half, Villa began to create more opportunities within the attacking third however, Chelsea’s work rate led to them struggling to produce something before pressure from the Blues forced them off the ball. As the game drew to a close Villa had numerous opportunities from dead-ball situations which had they been able to capitalise on could have made them even with the defending champions. Villa struggled to be first to the ball with Chelsea just edging them out to gain the vital first touch. These moments were vital as the final minutes drained from the clock and these set pieces could have been the thing to offer Villa some points from this match-up. The importance of these set pieces was proven in the final moments where a hail-mary corner headed towards the Chelsea goal by Villa goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo almost set Villa level but just deflected off of Hampton’s fingertips.
The two teams felt like a surprisingly even match-up during this game which had the possibility to go either way, however, the beautiful breakaway by Kaneryd set Chelsea apart and the Blues emerged victorious.
Teams: CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Hampton (GK), Bronze, Buchanan, Bright, Lawrence, Cuthbert, Nusken, Reiten, Baltimore, Kaneryd, Ramirez. Substitutes: Musovic, Perisset, Bjorn, Mpome, Kaptein, Hamano, Macario, James, Beever-Jones
Scorer: Johanna Rytting Kaneryd 36′.
ASTON VILLA (4-2-3-1): D’Angelo (GK), Maritz, Patten, Parker, Tomas, Nobbs, Staniforth, Grant, Kearns, Dali, Daly. Substitutes: Poor, Mayling, Corsie, Turner, Pacheco, Leon, Robinson, Hanson, Salmon.
Referee: Kirsty Dowle
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