Vidosic: Chelsea deserved to win

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Albion's head coach reflects on 3-0 defeat to champions Chelsea in the WSL.

Bruce Talbot

2025-12-14T14:50+00:00

Dario Vidosic admitted Chelsea deserved to win. 📷 Kyle Hemsley.

Dario Vidosic had no complaints after his team finished 2025 with a 3-0 home defeat to champions Chelsea in the WSL.

Sandy Baltimore and Alyssa Thompson scored either side of Caitlin Hayes’ own goal to leave Albion seventh going into a month-long break from league action.

It was no more than Chelsea deserved, although Albion were without seven players because of injury including goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, who suffered a concussion in training last week.

“We have been struggling for fit players,” admitted Vidosic. “This week a few of the U19s and even our goalkeeping coach have been helping us out in training to make up numbers, but it’s hard to replicate that intensity when you come into a game against Chelsea.

“With the ball we were not that good. I thought we defended well but in terms of our attacking play we didn’t really find any rhythm. Full credit to Sandy Baltimore, she’s stuck it in the top corner from 20 yards for their first goal and coming just before half-time it was important for them.

Fran Kirby tries to make things happen against her former club after coming on in the second half. 📷Kyle Hemsley.

“Then when we conceded so soon after half-time it made things that a lot more difficult. Chelsea played really well and to make them suffer you really have to keep the ball better than we did.”

Vidosic feels that the break has come at an opportune moment.

“It’s a good time for us to freshen up. It will give the girls an opportunity to rest, spend time with their families and hopefully allow one or two of our injured players to get fit," he added.

"Overall it has been a really positive first half of the season but I have only fielded the same team once so far and that is something we can hopefully do a bit more regularly in the second part of the season to create that continuity."