After months of uncertainty the curtain raised on a new season of women’s football as Chelsea drew first blood against Manchester City with an assured 2-0 win, crowning them first Women’s Community Shield victors since 2008.
The last time the two teams faced off, their last game before coronavirus changed everything, the match unfolded into an unhinged 3-3 draw that would ultimately define the season. Although City sat atop of the league when it was curtailed and decided on points per game, Chelsea were only one point behind with a game in hand and were awarded the title.
A new season has brought new faces. Both teams opted for two changes from their sides six months ago, with new signing Melanie Leupolz slipped into the Chelsea midfield for her debut while Fran Kirby returned for the first time since she fell ill with pericarditis in November. For Manchester City, Esme Morgan and prolific forward Chloe Kelly, who joined from Everton, made debuts. City’s new American duo were notably absent, with Sam Mewis starting on the bench while Rose Lavelle was not ready to make her debut.
Rust caked aspects of both teams’ games after so long without a competitive game, but the quality was always clear. Early on, it was Chelsea who looked far more comfortable as Manchester City’s determination to build from the back at all costs meant they dominated possession but were impotent with it, moving the ball too slowly.
As the first half wore on, Jill Scott and Caroline Weir began to enjoy more of the ball in midfield and Kelly was the best player on the pitch, a constant source of havoc. She marked her City debut with an astonishing run down the left, beating three Chelsea defenders before just misjudging the dismount by passing to Janine Beckie in an offside position. She later hit the post with a great low strike.
But much of the game was the story of Sam Kerr, one of the best finishers in the world who on this cloudy Saturday afternoon was reduced to a punchline. Kerr continually made the right runs and put herself in the perfect position in front of goal, but each time she could not close. Her failure to convert a simple one-on-one just three minutes into the game set the tone as she simply could not score throughout.
Still, it was on Kerr’s sixth missed opportunity of the day that the game changed. The Australian was sent clear on goal before sending her one-on-one wide of the far post, but in the buildup Jill Scott hacked down Ji So-yun and was handed her second yellow card. With a one player advantage, Chelsea squad collectively licked their lips. Kirby, who had considered retirement over the past year before returning at Wembley with an excellent performance, danced around the right flank as Ji and Guro Reiten continued to direct everything that was good in the attack.
But for all the absurd attacking ability that Chelsea possess, the deadlock was broken in the most absurd manner. After the umpteenth attack, the marauding defender Millie Bright picked up the ball far outside the box, took one touch and then belted it into the top corner. Chelsea would control much of the rest of the game, but they didn’t kill it off until an excellent cross from Maren Mjelde in added time was deflected to Erin Cuthbert, who buried her strike.
And so a new season begins as the last one ended, with Chelsea pipping Manchester City to yet another trophy. It marks Emma Hayes’s eighth trophy in her nine years at Chelsea and a third this year after winning the WSL and the FA Women’s League Cup. There will be many more battles to come.
from Football | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2EAQL7G
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