Keira Walsh’s stunning strike gave Chelsea a 1-0 win over Tottenham on Sunday as the defending Women’s Super League champions maintained their position at the top of the table. The Blues huffed and puffed a lot in this game, producing a lot of nice build-up play without the incisive final ball. And so, up stepped Walsh just past the hour mark to rifle an effort from range into the bottom corner of Lize Kop’s goal and secure all three points in some style.
No fixture in WSL history has a more dominant head-to-head than this one, with Chelsea having won all 11 meetings between the two sides ahead of this game. That disparity was evident in the way the afternoon unfolded, too, with Spurs constantly pinned back in their own defensive third as the Blues peppered the box with crosses and attempted passes. However, despite a record number of corners and touches in the opposition’s box for the first half in a WSL game, Sonia Bompastor’s side failed to really trouble Kop in the away goal. It wasn’t until the second half, when Alyssa Thompson curled an effort on target, that the Tottenham goalkeeper was really forced into action.
It wasn’t long after that, though, that she was beaten. Chelsea cranked up the pressure after the break and showcased better decision-making in key areas, carving out a chance for Thompson from close range which was well-blocked. But it was actually from range that the opening goal would be scored, as Walsh lined up a shot from 25 yards and rifled it into the bottom corner brilliantly.
Once the net rippled, the result felt secure, with Spurs having defended excellently but done little to trouble Hannah Hampton. There would be one a heart-in-mouth moment for the home fans, when Hampton uncharacteristically lost possession in a dangerous area, but it was a situation from which Chelsea escaped unscathed as they saw the victory out in an otherwise comfortable fashion, making it five wins from their first six WSL games and extending their unbeaten run in the competition to 31 matches, the second longest streak in competition history.
GOAL rates Chelsea’s players from Kingsmeadow…