Chelsea 2-0 Leicester City
Despite mustering 71% of possession, winning 16 corners to zero and having nine shots on target to nil, it took Sam Kerr‘s Chelsea until the 83rd minute to finally break through the massed ranks of Leicester defenders at Kingsmeadow.
Chelsea boss Emma Hayes selected a much-changed squad with an eye on Wednesday night’s trip to face Juventus in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Zećira Mušović made a first start in goal with Dutch defender Aniek Nouwen also coming into the defence. Other changes included returns to the starting lineup for Jonna Andersson, Drew Spence, Jessie Fleming and Beth England.
The newly-promoted East Midlands outfit had eleven players behind the ball for much of the afternoon and Mušović could have brought out a deck chair to enjoy the early autumn Kingston-Upon-Thames sunshine. Try as Chelsea might, they could not find a way through and Hayes was forced into making changes.
On came Sam Kerr, Pernille Harder, Ji, Guro Reiten and Erin Cuthbert – four of the club’s brightest stars this season. The pressure and corner count ramped up rapidly.
Finally, with seven minutes left, Olympic Gold Medalist Fleming played a cross to Harder who hit a low shot firmly into the net. The game was made safe four minutes into stoppage time when Fran Kirby raced onto Kerr’s header and slotted home.
CHELSEA: Mušović, Bright, Nouwen, Eriksson, Fleming, Ingle, Spence, Andersson, Kirby, England, Charles. Subs: Carter, Leupolz, Ji (for Ingle 65′), Reiten (for Andersson 65′), Kerr (for England 45′), Cuthbert (for Eriksson 73′), Harder (for Spence 45′), Fox, Berger (GK)
Scorers: Harder 83′, Kirby 90+4′
LEICESTER CITY: Levell, Brougham, McManus, Plumptre, Purfield, O’Brien, Tierney, Pike, Cain, Flint, Sigsworth. Subs: Lambourne (GK), de Graaf, Howard, Bailey-Gayle, Zajmi, Brown, Robinson, Harris
Referee: Lisa Benn
Attendance: 2,716
Click below to view Ben Gilby’s gallery action shots from the game:
