Champions Chelsea beat title rivals Manchester City 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to move above them into top spot in the Women’s Super League and keep up their perfect start to the season.
Sonia Bompastor, the successor to Emma Hayes as Chelsea boss, has become the first coach in WSL history to win their first seven games in the competition thanks to second-half goals from Mayra Ramirez and Guro Reiten just four minutes apart.
Chelsea needed the individual brilliance of Ramirez to unlock the game, billed by some as a title decider in the build-up, as the striker shrugged off City defender Alanna Kennedy before firing into the far corner after carrying the ball from halfway.
Reiten then delivered a pinpoint effort from the edge of the box to deliver the killer blow. City struggled to keep up with Chelsea as the game wore on and could have easily conceded a third.
City’s Khadija Shaw, the WSL’s top scorer, failed to punish two misplaced Chelsea passes in the first half, pulling her shot wide initially before putting too much on a pass when playing in Jil Roord.
Chelsea, victors in all seven of their WSL games at Stamford Bridge, claim a decisive win that leaves them two points clear of City with a game in hand.
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Chelsea forward Mayra Ramirez scored a sensational solo strike to give them the lead
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Guro Reiten extended Chelsea’s lead with a calm finish
More to follow…