As league contenders, Chelsea Women couldn’t just sit back and wait for Tottenham to take the initiative even though they had the home advantage.
The Blues were looking for an opener from the moment the referee blew her whistle, while Spurs tried to hit us on counter-attacks using Jessica Naz’s speed.
Finding the first goal wouldn’t be an easy task as Spurs packed the box with several defenders every time we tried to infiltrate the box.
Tottenham kept trying to find a tying goal, and Chelsea’s backline as well as Zecira Musovic were put to work.
Their introduction made it easier for Chelsea to manage the match as Tottenham had less room for error.
As league contenders, Chelsea Women couldn’t just sit back and wait for Tottenham to take the initiative even though they had the home advantage. The Blues were looking for an opener from the moment the referee blew her whistle, while Spurs tried to hit us on counter-attacks using Jessica Naz’s speed.
Finding the first goal wouldn’t be an easy task as Spurs packed the box with several defenders every time we tried to infiltrate the box. This could have worked against them as one of their players clearly used her arm in the box to stop Maika Hamano from getting the opener. But as is often the case in the WSL, inattentive refereeing and the lack of VAR made it so the play would be overlooked.
The quality of our finishing, as well as Spurs’ shot-stopping, made many fans wonder if Chelsea would need to make second half adjustments to find their opener. Maika Hamano would provide us with the answer to that.
A beautiful ball across by Reiten and Hamano taps it home for @ChelseaFCW!#BarclaysWSL pic.twitter.com/GPI2D2Tgf6 — Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) May 15, 2024
In added time Tottenham showed they were still a danger, with Naz again being the main outlet for their attacking forays. It felt as if Chelsea really needed to make some half-time adjustment as to not make this something they’d eventually pay for in the worst way possible.
Indeed Chelsea almost paid again for their defensive set-piece struggles in the first 10 minutes of the second half, with Ashleigh Neville missing the open net in a corner play. The Blues were also struggling with willing duels all over the pitch, which made Tottenham’s pressing task much easier than it should.
Tottenham kept trying to find a tying goal, and Chelsea’s backline as well as Zecira Musovic were put to work. It was far from a comfortable position for the title contenders, but having captain Millie Bright in the fold certainly helped.
A second Chelsea goal would’ve been just what the doctor’s ordered not just to give us a bit more breathing room at Brisbane Road, but also to potentially put us in a more advantageous place in the title race. Emma Hayes made substitutions for this very purpose, with Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Lauren James and Fran Kirby coming off the bench.
Their introduction made it easier for Chelsea to manage the match as Tottenham had less room for error. Still their efforts were “only” enough to bring home a simple 1-0 win.
Carefree!
