Tottenham FCW 2-3 Chelsea FCW, Women’s Super League: Post-match reaction

The game was away but Chelsea Women began the match playing like a team which had never left home. Dominating possession throughout and never Tottenham have even mere seconds to think with the ball, the Blues were quick in opening the lead via Jess Carter with a great header after a perfect cross from Erin Cuthbert.

But even with confidence running very high, the Blues would still be vulnerable to individual mistakes. A costly one from Kadeisha Buchanan would allow former Chelsea striker Beth England to tie the match for the hosts really early.

Luckily Chelsea have a Lauren James.

Lauren’s goal took Tottenham down a peg. With their heavy hits no longer working, they seemed as aimless as an adrift canoe in torrid water until the end of the first half.

In the second half, Chelsea continued to dominate possession against a very clumsy Tottenham team. And after making the best out of a mistake from a Blues defender to score their goal, it was time for them to pay it back via Guro Reiten.

There was still time for Spurs to annoy us with a second goal out of a collective defensive mistake from the Blues. Still that was not enough to take the three points away from the team who will gladly take them all back home today, after a really hard fight.

Carefree!

• Zecira Musovic still on goal, and Fran Kirby on the bench from the match against Liverpool in the League Cup.
• Subs are Fran Kirby for Jessie Fleming, Ève Périsset for Niamh Charles, Jelena Cankovic for Sam Kerr, Melanie Leupolz for Erin Cuthbert, and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd for Guro Reiten.
• Jess Carter doing very well in the first half, not just defending and supporting the team upfront but also scoring. What an asset!
• Lauren James. Nothing else to add.
• Tottenham’s play today was to press high and force mistakes out of our defence, which they accomplish in the first half. But beyond that it seems they confused high pressing with hard fouling, and the referee just allowed it to happen. English football, right?
• And thanks to a valiant effort from Everton, drawing 0-0 at home against Manchester United, Chelsea are BACK at the top of the WSL table. Hooray!
• Next up: West Ham away in the League Cup semi-final.
• KTBFFH!