Spirited Albion defeated by Chelsea

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A quickfire second-half treble ensured Emma Hayes's team secured all three points.

Charlie Hanson

2024-01-27T19:25:00Z

Greece international Vea Sarri dragged an effort wide.

A devastating 15 minute spell from league leaders Chelsea ensured they came away with a 3-0 win against Albion on Saturday evening.

A Lauren James double and a header from Fran Kirby extended Chelsea's lead at the top of the WSL with a 3-0 win at the Broadfield Stadium.

Guro Reiten went closest to scoring in the opening half with the first real chance of the game, as she leathered a strike from a tight angle on the left of the Albion box but saw her effort smack the upright.

Albion were aggressive without the ball and did well to limit the Blues for much of the half, as well as having a couple of opportunities of their own.

Vea Sarri fired wide from the edge of the box, before the Greek winger’s shot shortly before half-time after a great move took a big deflection and was easily gathered by Hannah Hampton.

Elisabeth Terland is Albion's top scorer in the WSL this season with 13 goals.

Lauren James was kept quiet by Maria Thorisdottir in the first half, but Reiten on the other side was having more luck, although she could only blame herself when she dragged a shot wide from inside the six-yard box after doing well to get on the end of Fran Kirby’s cutback.

Chelsea’s record scorer was also guilty of missing a great opportunity, slicing high and wide from Reiten’s cross.

Melissa Phillips’s team’s hard work was undone in a stunning 15 minutes at the beginning of the second half from Chelsea. James put the visitors ahead within 60 seconds of the restart as she found the top left corner with a sumptuous half-volley.

Vea Sarri had a few decent efforts in the first half.

Albion were trying to pick themselves back up when they went two down as Kirby nodded in from close range, before James had her second of the day when she tucked home from 12 yards.

Pauline Bremer’s cross-shot smacked the inside of the post, as Albion showed good spirits to keep looking for inroads until the end, but the damage had very much been done.

The defeat sees Albion slip down a spot into ninth, six points clear of the relegation zone.

A silver lining of the defeat saw 17-year-old Lily Dent make her WSL debut. Dent has recently been included in matchday squads.

The Albion team: Baggaley, Thorisdottir, Bergsvand, Kullberg, Pattinson, Losada (Symonds 54) , Zigiotti, Bremer (Robinson 54), Pinto (Geummin 54), Sarri, Terland (Dent 89).