79 mins: Another change for Bristol City, Laura Rafferty coming on for Gemma Evans. Mjelde is still receiving treatment on the field; this will undeniably overshadow today’s victory. Many of her teammates, and Hayes on the touchline, look very concerned as play restarts.
75 mins: Maren Mjelde goes down clutching her knee and is clearly in a lot of pain; this is really troubling to see. It came after an innocuous challenge from Palmer, who didn’t do anything wrong - but looks visibly upset herself on the touchline.
“Is it too early to float ideas of how many trophies Chelsea could win this season?” asks Justin Treadwell. “On the one hand, fixture congestion, but on the other, the ridiculous depth of talent in this squad...”
Indeed Justin - Chelsea are top of the WSL, and still in the FA Cup and Champions League. Conquering Europe might be a push this year, but a domestic Treble looks entirely possible.
70 mins: Another chance for Salmon, who gets a good shot away under pressure from Palmer. Berger tips over the bar, then takes a knock on the ankle after coming out to claim the corner.
67 mins: Palmer’s first action is a presentable chance; a free header, albeit from a tight angle, that she can’t steer either side of Burger.
65 mins: All due respect etc, but Ebony Salmon looks like she could make the grade at a bigger club; she’s been impressive when given the chance today. Carla Humphrey goes off, replaced by Aimee Palmer.
63 mins: The aim for the underdogs now is to get on the scoresheet. Salmon looks their best hope, and her clever cross just eludes Wellings in the area.
61 mins: Another change, with Jessica Carter replacing Kirby as Emma Hayes shuts up shop. She also sends on a note, which is passed around a few players. I’m not quite sure what needs changing, but there we go.
60 mins: Fleming plays Kerr in on goal again - it’s become far too easy - and Baggaley does well to come off her line again and deny her a fourth. That’s Kerr’s cue to depart, replaced by Niamh Charles.
59 mins: Oof, Ebony Salmon so nearly pulls one back! The lone forward makes a fine slaloming run into the area, but is denied by Berger, who throws up a hand to turn her shot over the bar.
57 mins: Kerr breaks through again, but is denied by the onrushing Baggaley. Moments later, Skeels leans on Kirby and is perhaps fortunate not to give away a penalty.
Kerr has a hat-trick but this is becoming the Kirby Final, as she turns down the opportunity to shoot, instead playing a perfect reverse pass into the path of Guro Reiten, who sweeps the ball home!
Football on BT Sport(@btsportfootball)
An exquisite pass to set up Chelsea's sixth of the afternoon! 🔥
Probably the pick of the Chelsea goals, and there’s a troubling amount of time still on the clock.
Photograph: Naomi Baker/Getty Images
52 mins: It could have been six here, but Faye Bryson throws herself in the way to deny Kerr another tap-in, again from a Kirby cross. Those two have been Kerr/Kir-iffic today.
Bristol City appealed for a penalty as Daniels went down, while Chelsea set off downfield. Reiten played in Kirby, who crossed for Kerr, who couldn’t miss.
... but Bristol City pay the price for pouring forward for that corner, as Kerr finishes off a lethal counter to seal her hat-trick!
Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images/Reuters
Sam Kerr scores the fifth goal to complete her hat-trick. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images/Reuters
47 mins: Salmon wins a corner, cutting into the area before Bright cuts out her cross. Berger punches clear, but only as far as Carla Humphrey, whose shot is charged down ...
Three half-time changes for Chelsea: Hannah Blundell, Erin Cuthbert and Drew Spence come on for Ingle, Eriksson and Leupolz. For Bristol City, Abi Harrison is on for Emma Bissell.
We go again.
Some half-time reading:
Two goals apiece for Sam Kerr and Fran Kirby, and we can probably pop the blue ribbons on the trophy now.
46 mins: Bristol City keep the ball upfield and Ebony Salmon chests down a cross, but has to play the ball back under pressure. Mastrantonio has a go from 25 yards out, but it’s high and wide.
45 mins: Two added minutes.
43 mins: Ingle has been able to carry on, but now Guro Reiten is heading to the sideline with ankle trouble after a firm, but fair, challenge from Mastrantonio.
41 mins: A long ball almost gets Kirby in behind the defence, and when Chelsea come again, Baggaley makes a fine save to deny Kirby her hat-trick after a neat one-two with Kerr.
38 mins: Sophie Ingle has gone down after landing awkwardly in a challenge with Daniels. She needs treatment, and it’s a chance for Chelsea to get some drinks and their opponents to have a quick huddle.
37 mins: Mjelde lifts a cross towards the far post, but Baggaley claims it well. Soon enough, Chelsea are pouring forward again, but Reiten runs out of room while trying to get a cross in.
A second for Kirby as Bristol City’s back line gets shredded on the break. Kerr gets beyond Evans too easily, and her through ball finds Kirby, whose shot is saved by Baggaley but cruelly spins into the net.
Fran Kirby gets Chelsea’s fourth of the half. Photograph: Chelsea FC/Getty Images
32 mins: Chelsea break upfield and Kerr has a shot from a tight angle, but it’s deflected behind.
That was a bad mistake from the keeper, but perhaps a sign of the pressure Bristol City have been under. The Vixens get a shot on goal here, Mastrantonio’s effort charged down ...
No. Baggaley misplaces her pass forward and Kirby lobs into the empty net!
Chelsea are running away with it. Photograph: Catherine Ivill - The FA/The FA/Getty Images
27 mins: Chelsea continue to ping the ball around in front of their opponents’ back four, but this time Bristol City clear and win a free kick. A chance to briefly release the pressure?
23 mins: Ebony Salmon beats Reiten for pace but has nobody anywhere near her, and is dispossessed. Chelsea race upfield and Kerr feeds Kirby, who drags a shot just wide of the far post.
20 mins: City are dropping into a back four, when Chelsea push forward at least, with Daniels in an unfamiliar left-back role. It works here as Kerr is squeezed out, and the resulting corner is dealt with.
17 mins: Bristol City can’t do much more than try to keep Chelsea at bay here. Kerr tries to connect with Mjelde’s pass and is brought down by Evans. The referee waves play on; the replays suggest it was a penalty. No VAR here, I should point out.
12 mins: Bristol City get forward, Bryson moving down the right and trying to play Wellings in - but her through ball is cut out. Chelsea break, but Mastrantonio, playing the holding role, does well to rob Fleming of the ball.
Football on BT Sport(@btsportfootball)
It's a brace within the first 🔟 minutes for Sam Kerr! 🔥She even dusted off the backflip for good measure. 😎
Yana Daniels gets caught in possession by Fleming, who slips a pass to Kirby, who in turn plays in Kerr. The Australian cracks a shot across Baggaley and into the bottom corner, before back-flipping away in celebration.
8 mins: Kirby and Kerr continue to cause Bristol City all sorts of bother, but the underdogs are digging in for now, even if there’s little hope of even escaping their own half at present.
5 mins: Chelsea win a corner which Mjelde swings in, but Gemma Evans heads it away. From a second corner, Eriksson sends her flicked header just wide.
4 mins: It seems that Matt Beard has gone with a back three/five today, rather than the usual four, and his defence looked uncertain as Chelsea attacked at pace.
That’s the start the underdogs would have been dreading. Kirby latches on to a diagonal pass, bursts clear of the defence and squares for Sam Kerr, who has a tap in.
It could be a long afternoon for Bristol City. Photograph: Catherine Ivill - The FA/The FA/Getty Images
The players all pause to take a knee, before we get under way. Bristol City in red, Chelsea in blue. No fancy kit changes here.
In today’s only WSL match, Reading and Tottenham have drawn 0-0. The Royals stay in mid-table, with Spurs edging away from relegation trouble with an away point. They’re now four points above Bristol City, and five above bottom club West Ham.
Worth mentioning that this game is taking place on Mother’s Day and the Bristol City manager, Tanya Oxtoby, is currently on maternity leave. Matt Beard, who was Hayes’ predecessor at Chelsea, is in interim charge with Oxtoby watching from the stands.
Hayes herself took charge of Chelsea for their FA Cup final win in 2018 while 33 weeks pregnant. “I think you have to really appreciate how tough this might be for her,” Hayes said of Oxtoby this week. “She deserves to be there.”
Sam Kerr starts up front for Chelsea, with Pernille Harder on the bench as Canada’s Jessie Fleming gets a surprise start. Beth England is unavailable after suffering a concussion in the Champions League win over Atlético Madrid.
Bristol City’s interim manager, Matt Beard, has opted for Australian international Ella Mastrantonio to play in behind striker Ebony Salmon, who got the winner against Reading on Monday.
Subs: Musovic, Telford, Blundell, Carter, Ji, Charles, Cuthbert, Harder, Spence.
Hello. As Paul Gascoigne once said, I don’t make predictions and I never will. That said, it’s fair to say Chelsea are favourites to retain their trophy today at Vicarage Road. In their last four meetings, the current Women’s Super League leaders have beaten today’s underdog opponents by an aggregate score of 24-1. That includes a 9-0 win in September where nine different Chelsea players got on the scoresheet against Bristol City, who looked doomed even at that early stage.
The Vixens have rallied in recent weeks, their unexpected run to this final firing a league revival that has lifted them off the bottom. With a relegation battle to be fought, Bristol City could be forgiven for being happy to be here, and hoping to avoid another heavy defeat. But this is a Cup final, and the prospect of a historic upset will be on everyone’s minds.
The 2012 men’s FA Cup final, when Wigan shocked Manchester City, has been a hot topic in both dressing rooms this week. It would arguably be an even bigger shock if Bristol City were to deny Chelsea today. Stick around to see how they get on.
from Football | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3tg20Gq
via IFTTT
Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball)
No Comment