Aston Villa never looked like scoring but they kept their shape well and were very disciplined. Bignot’s side do look like they have enough about them to stay up.
It was all very, very easy for Chelsea as they brushed aside Aston Villa without having to make much effort, to be honest. Kerr took her goals well but Villa were not much of an opponent. Emma Hayes will be pleased with the simple nature of today’s win, going into their Champions League second leg in midweek.
Kerr celebrates with Chelsea Manager Emma Hayes. Photograph: Marc Atkins/Getty Images
90 mins: Aston Villa get a corner but whack it straight out for a goal-kick.
Three minutes added on.
88 mins: Not much of going through the motions left here.
86 mins: Harder drives forward but cannot get beyond Asante and N’Dow, with the latter whacking the ball clear.
84 mins: Bright tries to ping one over the top but Ji can only flick it into Weiss’ arms.
82 mins: Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass. Chelsea are cruising here.
80 mins:Redmond Grimes says: “For me Ji is the silkiest smoothest player in the women’s game. Such vision and passing ability.”
Ji So-Yun of battles for possession with Nadine Hanssen and Anita Asante. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
78 mins: Sub Beever-Jones gets into the box but N’Dow comes across to force the ball out for a corner.
Eriksson takes the set-piece but it misses everyone.
76 mins: Ji has to jump over the hoardings to retrieve the ball but crawls back through a gap to return to the pitch.
74 mins: Weiss collects Ji’s free-kick but only succeeds in whacking it to her opposite number.
McLoughlin is booked for taking down Leupolz. The Villa player looks very tired.
72 mins: Ji is pushed over by N’Dow. The Chelsea player has been the best player on the pitch, for me.
70 mins: Just introducing my three-month-old daughter to football here. She has decided to try to eat her firefly toy instead. Should I stop her?
68 mins: Chelsea are getting a touch cocky here, as Musovic and Bright pass it between themselves in the area, resulting in the goalkeeper kicking the ball against a Villa player but they get away with it.
66 mins: Aston Villa are, unsurprisingly, looking very tired here. This could be an underwhelming finally 25 minutes or so.
64 mins: Chelsea will just be looking to conserve a bit of energy here, as indicated by how much they are passing it around the back.
62 mins: Kerr should have her after a long ball from Bright is collected by Harder, who sends it on for the Australian but she snatches at her shot and it trickles wide. Kerr is immediately substituted, I assume it’s unrelated to the miss. Leupolz is on.
59 mins: All change for Chelsea, as Harder, Spence and Charles come on.
An absolute shambles at the back for Villa. Kirby lays the ball into Kerr to take forward, before trying to find Fleming with a through ball but she puts too much weight on the pass, meaning Ale is given the chance to clear, instead she lets it go back to Weiss, who under pressure hits the ball to Kirby, who lays it to Kerr to convert from 12 yards.
Sam Kerr of Chelsea celebrates with team mate Jessie Fleming. Photograph: Catherine Ivill - The FA/The FA/Getty Images
55 mins: Villa have a shot! Arthur picks up the ball 25 yards from goal, gets it out of her feet and whacks a shot towards the top corner but Musovic holds onto it well.
53 mins: Asante has already been caught out a couple of times in this half, purely dye to her lack of pace. It could be another long 45 minutes for Villa.
Kirby is the latest to breeze past Asante who is lucky to not clip the Chelsea forward in the box but the Blues player pings the ball into the send netting when in a good position.
51 mins: Even when Villa do get the chance to put a foot on the ball and move forward, they generally panic and pick the wrong pass.
49 mins: Ale drives forward down the left and gets into a dangerous position but then calmly passes the ball out for a Chelsea goal kick.
47 mins: We have started where we left off with Chelsea having all of the ball.
Here we go again!
Want some half-time reading? No? Well read my piece prior to Albania v England anyway.
The hosts have been on top from start to finish in the opening 45 minutes. The goal was deserved but Chelsea have barely got out of second gear. Aston Villa just do not have the personnel to make this a contest.
45 mins: Two minutes added time.
from Football | The Guardian https://ift.tt/39knw5g
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