Goals from Sam Kerr, Erin Cuthbert and Guro Reiten fired Chelsea back to the WSL summit in a 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on the much-anticipated return of manager Emma Hayes to the dugout.
The victory sees Chelsea extend their winning streak to nine games in all competitions while consigning Spurs to their third league defeat of the season and their sixth WSL London derby defeat against the Blues.
A sold-out Stamford Bridge celebrating Chelsea’s 30th birthday felt the only appropriate setting to welcome Hayes back to her touchline after six weeks away following an emergency hysterectomy.
And while Hayes herself refrained from basking in any of the spotlight, how her players revelled in the glory for her, notching their largest margin of victory this season in a league match and restoring some of the merciless brand of football that has seen Chelsea claim 11 trophies in a decade under Hayes but has been for want this season.
After a bright start from the visitors in which Spurs hinted their threat on the break, the reigning champions quashed what little groundswell had been made as Sam Kerr lifted Hayes’ side into the ascendancy. The 29-year-old latched onto a ball over the top from Millie Bright before coolly slotting home from 12 yards out beyond keeper Tinja Riika-Korpela and a flailing Spurs backline. The goal marked Kerr’s third in her last three appearances and her sixth in her five WSL derbies against Spurs.
While Rehanne Skinner’s side valiantly refused to sit back, with half-chances created between Ashleigh Neville, Jessica Naz, Angharad James and Drew Spence, Chelsea looked the most dangerous and kept Korpela busy. But on the 26th minute, the Finnish keeper could do nothing to keep out Erin Cuthbert’s dipping half-volley from outside the area following a Guro Reiten corner.
The Blues then made it three after Neville was judged to have taken down a dancing Lauren James in the box. Reiten converted low and hard to hand Spurs an insurmountable mountain to climb after the interval.
If the question before kickoff was if Hayes’ return could rekindle Chelsea’s merciless ferocity that has been conspicuously absent this season, the question quickly slipped into one of quantity as Chelsea looked hellbent on delivering more goals for Hayes as they immediately cranked up the pressure in the second half and dictated matters to their will.
Yet, profligacy in front of goal proved impossible to shake for the game’s remainder as James, Bright and Kerr missed opportunities to capitalise on their side's dominance.
Not even the second-half substitutions of Fran Kirby and Bethany England for Kerr and Cuthbert - as much a flex of squad depth from Hayes as a need to rest her players to their upcoming Champions League group stage clash with Real Madrid - could cut through.
Spurs continued to show glimpses of promise in attack through a blistering Naz and a lively Neville but any threat was snuffed out casually by Buchanan and Bright as Spurs' characteristic toothless in front of goal reared its head.
In the final seconds of extra time, Kirby and England looked to deliver the coveted fourth but a misplaced pass from Kirby thwarted the chance.
Chelsea XI: Berger; Buchanan, Bright, Eriksson; Reiten, Ingle, Cuthbert, Perisset; Fleming, Kerr, James.
Tottenham XI: Korpela; Turner, Bartrip, Zadorsky, Ale; James, Summanen, Spence, Neville; Bizet, Naz.
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