Sky Sports columnist Laura Hunter breaks down the big talking points from the latest Women’s Super League fixtures and explores the key stories at the heart of the women’s game.
Chelsea’s sudden demise is a shock, or is it?
I didn’t see this coming. Chelsea’s domestic domination ended in style. Their quest to retain the Women’s Super League title, which lasted six years, is slipping away with each passing week. And in the process, cracks also occur. It’s the first time since 2019 that the Blues have fallen this far from the top spot.
It would be unprecedented for a club like Chelsea to give up the title before February. Manchester City’s 11-point lead is the largest in the history of the competition. they will win the title. The only question is how much?
Reality hit Sonia Bonpastor hard. Chelsea are no longer the team closest to challenging, with Manchester United currently occupying second place. And the humiliation of their first defeat in six years at the weekend has raised concerns for the first time about this team and its structure.
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Chelsea also lost 0-2 to Arsenal last week.
As I see it, there are several talking points, but Bompastre raised the key points in his press conference after the defeat by City, asserting that the team “lacks depth” and admitting “I wish we had been in a better place in the last transfer window”.
Now, let’s add some context to this discussion. As long as everyone is fit, Chelsea won’t be short of options, and they never will be. The fact that Bompastre has made the most substitutions in a match (65) this season, tied for the most of any manager, actually negates that claim.
What’s more, their trade budget is bigger than any other club in their division, so if they go after a target, they’re almost guaranteed to get it. Consider the last few windows. Myra Ramirez, Natalie Bjorn, Naomi Girma, Keira Walsh, Alyssa Thompson, and Ellie Carpenter were all bought at high prices. During this period, the world record transfer fee was broken three times.
Chelsea sign US international Alyssa Thompson for £1m this summer
They also signed key players during that period, including free agents Sandy Baltimore and Lucy Bronze, and the previous year they signed FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year Hannah Hampton. Chelsea have elite talent in their squad. Just eight weeks ago, they were celebrating a noble 34-game unbeaten run.
But crucially, and this is important, this team is equally burdened by players who are past the peak of their powers. Guro Leiten, Johanna Ritting-Kanelid and Sam Kerr have all been great servants for Chelsea, but so far this season they have not been at the level they need to be. Of course, the injury didn’t help either.
So, what Bonpastor is really saying is that this group, in its current form, is hampered by availability and is not good enough to compete with the best teams in the WSL. She’s right about that. Who is your first choice for left back? Why is there no cover in central midfield? Where did the best-in-class offense go?
At the Etihad, it was the placement that hurt Chelsea as much as the limited availability of players. The 4-1-4-1 shape suited City’s hands. There was a complete mismatch in midfield and gaps opened up all over the pitch. In attack, Chelsea’s threat was limited to hopeful shots from distance.
Thompson was isolated, resulting in the second fewest touches (32) among players who started the game. In terms of actual threat, Vike Kaptein was the player who produced the highest xG value (0.63), but neither of her two shots on goal ended on target.
Meanwhile, Man City’s impressive xG record makes them their fourth highest total of the season.
The situation gets even worse. What was even more impressive was how much the Bompastor side was outnumbered in direct competition. The captain suffered more losses than anyone else (six), with Man City winning the entire battle with an astonishingly high score of 47-22. This disparity should ring alarm bells.
All of Chelsea’s best teams of the past constantly changed their squad based on form, opposition and Emma Hayes’ tactical ideas. Some of the most influential midfielders in the game were key. Among them are Ji So-yun, Fran Kirby, and Sophie Ingle. they were making a fuss. They won the title for Chelsea.
Chelsea conceded five goals on Sunday for the first time since the 2018/19 season.
Man City’s recent additions say everything about the value of a solid midfield department loaded with central midfielders with a variety of profiles. They have signed Sydney Roman, Grace Clinton and Sam Coffey since the summer to complement the selection of Laura Brinkilde-Brown, Yui Hasegawa and veteran Laura Coombs. Hasegawa ran in Sunday’s game.
Chelsea’s pursuit of PSG midfielder Jennifer Echezzini in this latest slot is perhaps a recognition of their own lack of ability.
However, if this is a blame game, the recruiter’s dissatisfaction can only be blamed for so much. The players who have contributed so much to the club in the past must be held accountable, as well as the feelings towards those who have underperformed compared to extremely high standards.
Lauren James has managed to score one goal in the WSL all season despite battling injuries. Aggie Beaver Jones hasn’t found the net in the league since September.
Bompastar addressed the issue in a press conference, saying: “Two top teams played against each other and one was efficient, the other was not. I don’t want to put everything on the players, but we made too many mistakes.”
Unfortunately for Bonpastor, this precipitous decline comes at a time when one of its closest rivals is hitting its best rhythm in a decade. The division between them and the league leaders was as evident on Sunday as it was in the standings. You can cruise around the city from here.
This is now the new normal at WSL. It’s up to everyone else, including Chelsea, to make up for the deficit.
Read last week’s WSL column
Last week’s column analyzed Chelsea’s position in the title race after losing to Arsenal, and Kirsty Hanson’s impact on Aston Villa.
