Pragmatic, resolute and gutsy. Sonia Bompastor showed her ruthless side and delivered a tactical masterclass as Chelsea earned a 1-0 win over Manchester City and leapfrogged them at the top of the Women’s Super League.
Sandy Baltimore’s stunning strike in added time at the end of the first half was the difference, as the west London side nullified the threat of a team that had scored in each of their preceding 21 games in all competitions, delivering their first loss of the campaign.
The task for City got even tougher when goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita received a straight red for clattering into Alyssa Thompson, but despite their numerical disadvantage it was end to end right up until the final whistle.
Momentum was with City after their 5-0 defeat of West Ham the preceding weekend and a 4-1 win against Inter in the Champions League on Tuesday night and they were able to welcome the injured duo Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead back to the bench to bolster their matchday squad.
At Stamford Bridge the England women’s manager, Sarina Wiegman, the US women’s manager, Emma Hayes, and passionate women’s football advocate and pundit Ian Wright were in the stands for the encounter that unfolded. It was a fixture that promised much, and it delivered: the league’s most potent attacks, with Chelsea having scored 28 league goals before this fixture to City’s 27, while Bompastor’s side had the most solid defence, having conceded only five times before kick-off.
It was a chess match. After a thrillingly frenetic start there was a change for Chelsea just 12 minutes in, with the centre-back Kadeisha Buchanan replaced by Veerle Buurman. There was speculation at the break over whether the withdrawal of the Canadian defender was due to injury. If it was, Chelsea were fortunate, as Buurman was excellent at nullifying the threat of Khadija Shaw. If the defensive switch was a tactical decision, it was a stroke of genius and Bompastor suggested that was the case. Speaking to the BBC at half-time on the exit of Buchanan and and the clearly injured Melvine Malard, after 35 minutes, she said: “I think I will explain maybe after the game but different stories behind the substitutions.”
There were chances at both ends, but they were limited and it took until the fourth of five added minutes for Chelsea to draw first blood. The goal was sensational. Baltimore collected the ball just inside the box on the right, from Ellie Carpenter, lined up her shot and sent a pile-driver of a strike into the roof of the net.
It was the only shot on target in the first half.
City sought an instant reply after the break but they just could not find a way through and momentum ebbed and flowed between the two teams. Andrée Jeglertz, the City manager, withdrew Sam Coffey and Mary Fowler in favour of Miedema and Laura Blindkilde Brown to help his side assert some authority in the middle and, through Miedema, to add some creative instinct.
However, as City pushed they left themselves vulnerable on the break and when Maika Hamano’s crossfield ball was met by Alyssa Thompson with just over 15 minutes remaining it was disaster for City. Yamashita raced out of her box and clattered into the Chelsea forward, conceding a free-kick and receiving a straight red card.
Despite City’s efforts, Chelsea were in control and they would hold strong to blow the title race wide open.
