Emma Hayes praised the “champion-like performance” in the stifling 1-0 win against Manchester City that ensured Chelsea moved to within two points of the league leaders Arsenal, having played a game less.
“Our defensive strategy was brilliant,” Hayes said. “Our ability in the first half to take Man City to the spaces we wanted them to be in worked really, really well. It was a controlled, measured, calm, champion-like performance.”
Hayes’s squad continued to show strength in depth, with Jess Carter providing the assist for Guro Reiten’s glancing header, after the manager had praised the performance of players who have stepped up when called upon after the 3-1 defeat of Manchester United on Wednesday.
“I’ve seen this coming, this group is growing,” she said. “I’m so happy that we’ve got another generation of players coming through, that’s so pleasing when you’ve had a team that has been at the top for a while.”
City were on a nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions before the trip south, with the team’s only dropped points coming in a 1-1 draw with league leaders Arsenal.
Hayes had arrested Chelsea’s struggles at the end of the year, when they were knocked out of the Champions League, but a scoreless draw with Brighton put Arsenal in the driving seat.
No WSL season has provided quite as many twists, turns and upsets at the top, though, and – with Arsenal having dropped two points in a 1-1 draw with United on Saturday – suddenly the prize on offer here was all the sweeter.
Chelsea welcome the Gunners to Kingsmeadow on Friday night for a likely title decider under the lights, and the chance to avenge the 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium on the opening day of the season.
With a whippy wind behind them, Chelsea weathered a short spell of City possession before taking control and in the 14th minute they had the lead when a swooping cross from Carter was glanced over Alex Greenwood and past the goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck into the far corner by the Norwegian forward Reiten.
“I will tell Sarina [Wiegman, the England manager] this, I think Jess should be given more opportunities for England. She’s one of the best one-v-one defenders. She’s growing in stature,” Hayes said.
City struggled to find the rhythm that has powered the team through their recent run of games. The impressive forward Jess Park, who had been named player of the match in back‑to‑back games, was kept quiet until the 39th minute when she popped up with City’s best chance of the half, meeting a free-kick with her left foot and forcing a fine save from the Chelsea goalkeeper Ann‑Katrin Berger.
Having pulled the strings of the Chelsea attack recently in the absence of Sam Kerr and Fran Kirby, with the latter only deemed fit enough for the bench, Pernille Harder showed no signs of relinquishing the reins despite the staggered return of the duo and the home team pressed forward with Harder at the crux of all their positive play.
More impressive, though, was the back four of Carter, Millie Bright, Aniek Nouwen and Jonna Andersson, of which only Bright has been a regular starter in recent years. “It shows the versatility and adaptability of the players,” Hayes said. “I thought tactically it was a great game from that perspective, even if I thought both teams were really tired.”
City had scored 37 goals in their nine-game unbeaten run with the wingers Lauren Hemp and Park particularly potent. But at Kingsmeadow both struggled to impose themselves on the game and the centre-forward Khadija Shaw and her second‑half replacement Ellen White, lacked the service they have become accustomed to when flanked by the duo.
Despite a late City charge, boosted by the introduction of Julie Blakstad, Vicky Losada and White, Chelsea held firm and extended their unbeaten run against City to 10 games – four wins and six draws.
“What this team does really well is what they’re doing at the business end of the season, producing performance after performance. It’s dogged,” Hayes said.
For City, the 10-point gap from the top could be too big to close now. “It’s a gap, a big gap,” Taylor said. “We just need to keep chipping away at it. It starts next week. We’re unfortunate not to come away with at least a point today, I feel.”
