Here’s Suzanne Wrack’s report.
The current WSL table, with Arsenal still playing but all but guaranteed to win at Brighton.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man Utd Women | 20 | 42 | 50 |
| 2 | Chelsea Women | 19 | 42 | 49 |
| 3 | Arsenal Women | 19 | 34 | 44 |
| 4 | Man City Women | 20 | 25 | 44 |
| 5 | Aston Villa Women | 20 | 8 | 33 |
| 6 | Everton Women | 19 | -4 | 27 |
| 7 | Liverpool FC Women | 20 | -14 | 22 |
| 8 | West Ham Women | 19 | -18 | 17 |
| 9 | Brighton & Hove Albion Women | 20 | -35 | 16 |
| 10 | Tottenham Hotspur Women | 20 | -19 | 14 |
| 11 | Leicester Women | 20 | -33 | 13 |
| 12 | Reading Women | 20 | -28 | 11 |
Full-time: Chelsea 6-0 Leicester
The damage was done during the first half, and so their attention turns to Wembley and Manchester United and the FA Cup final. Double destiny is within their hands. Chelsea are now a point behind United at the top of the table with a game in hand. Beat West Ham, Arsenal and Reading and the title is theirs. Leicester have relegation to fight.
Updated
Goal! Chelsea 6-0 Leicester (Charles, 90+3)
Charles sets up Cankovic, who cuts inside and smashed in. The job completed in style.
90 min: Three minutes added on, which seems a bit cruel and unnecessary considering the weather, which is brutal. The ball is now sticking along the turf.
89 min: More Leicester pressure – the wind and rain seems to be heavier in the Chelsea end.
88 min: Leicester chance – it falls to Purfield – and she smashes wide.
86 min: The rain is so heavy that the play barely exists at this point. Leicester are unlikely to get it stopped at this point so they may as well just see it out.
Updated
84 min: Leitzig is called into action for what feels the first time in a while. The rain is coming back down now, and how.
83 min: Leicester have been decent since the subs, Chelsea less so, which may serve as some markers for Emma Hayes’ selection on Sunday. Sam Kerr has not been required, and you can’t say fairer than that.
79 min: Again, football is less slick than in the opening 45 minutes. Chelsea were devastating. The weather and those subs seems to have broken up play.
77 min: Chelsea make a final change, Erikson off, and Keisha Buchanan on, and to loud cheers, she’s a very popular player. Sophie Ingle is now acting captain for Chelsea.
74 min: News from elsewhere, the pressure going down on Manchester City in the race for third.
Back underway...
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) May 10, 2023
Let's keep pushing for more! 🖤
🔵 0-4 ⚫️ (46) pic.twitter.com/LhQ4nLpUod
73 min: Charles flies forward and is brought down by Leicester’s Cain. That will be a booking.
71 min: The Chelsea fans are singing of going to Wembley. Leicester are staring down the barrel of relegation.
69 min: Chelsea still want more, Niamh Charles on the overlap but she is stopped in her tracks.
67 min: Not much football being played at the moment, quite understandable considering all the fireworks that took place before.
65 min: Chelsea make a change, Ingle on for Cuthbert, Harder goes off…it becomes a quadruple change.
64 min: Chelsea force another series of corners and the skies look to be clearing at last.
62 min: Reiten and James combine and the shot is dragged wide, Leicester torn asunder.
58 min: Emma Hayes has the job done, now does she start to rest players. Wembley beckons on Sunday, and the rain has stopped for now.
Goal! Chelsea 5-0 Leicester (James, 56)
It’s what she’s been trying to do all night, speed, space and skill, cuts inside and lashes home, into the top corner. A beauty, the best of the night so far.
Updated
54 min: Huge thunderstorm tonight in South London, the rain coming down like stair rods. Still, the players roll on.
52 min: Chelsea have a corner, aimed at Cuthbert, then there’s a clash between Purfield and Cuthbert and a delay in play. Everyone’s OK, and from the drop ball – guess what? – Chelsea almost score, Lauren James smashing on.
51 min: Harder escapes down the wing, and just as it looks she might set up a teammate her touch deserts her.
50 min: Lauren James wants a goal, and she cuts in and out from the right, only to wallop her shot over the bar.
48 min: Leicester have their own goal difference problem and are behind Reading at the bottom on that metric if ahead on points. The gap is two points.
46 min: Back underway at Kingsmeadow. Elsewhere in the WSL, Arsenal are winning 2-0 at Brighton as they seek to get back into a Champions League position.
Chelsea face Manchester United in the FA Cup final on Saturday.
Half-time: Chelsea 4-0 Leicester
No nerves here, instead industrial-quality finishing from the defending champions, who have been excellent, even with a much rotated team.
45+1 min: Leicester go close, Purfield’s shot flashing wide. They’re still chasing goals, the well-beaten visitors.
45 min: Leitzig clings on with relief as Perisset almost got a first goal as a Chelsea player, when overlapping down the left.
44 min: The home fans want five. They want four titles, too. Harder wants a hat-trick, too.
Goal! Chelsea 4-0 Leicester (Harder, 42)
Harder is in the inside-left position and running at pace, and her speed opens up even more space. The finish is unerring, too.
Updated
41 min: Such control from Chelsea over what could have been a troublesome opponent but this has been awesome.
39 min: Chelsea slow it down for a few moments. Then Cuthbert launches the ball towards Reiten. The ball eventually ends up back with Chelsea.
37 min: Leicester free-kick, but Purfield can only launch it to Berger. Off go Chelsea again, Reiten’s cross cleared hurriedly.
36 min: Chelsea seek yet more, with Reiten and Cuthbert in the centre, looking for yet more goals to close the goal differential on United at the top.
33 min: Chelsea are rampant, and on this form look capable of scoring goals until their league and cup double is complete. Damage limitation now for Leicester.
Goal! Chelsea 3-0 Leicester (Harder, 32)
A goal on her first start in six months. James shoots and Leitzig can only drop the ball at the Norwegian’s foot.
Updated
31 min: Lauren James cuts in and has a shot blocked. Leicester back in numbers but James is asking lots of questions of them…
30 min: Reiten tries to send away Harder but not this time. Leicester hold firm, for now at least.
28 min: Lauren James is almost on the end of a cross but she is having to head from too far out. Easy for Leitzig.
Updated
26 min: Siemsen breaks clear down the Leicester right and her shot comes off the outside of the post. Leicester’s adventure continues to impress.
24 min: Credit Leicester for coming into the contest. It may leave gaps at the back but that barely matters now.
22 min: Chelsea go again…James powers on and Reiten heads wide.
21 min: Leicester have a free-kick down the left of the Chelsea defence. A good ball in, and there’s a modicum of panic. Siemsen shoots and the ball is cleared.
20 min: Leicester enjoy their longest spell of time in the Chelsea half…by taking ages over a throw-in.
Goal! Chelsea 2-0 Leicester (Cuthbert, 18)
Cuthbert makes an interception and gallops into acres of space. She rounds the keeper and scores. That has been coming ever since the first.
Updated
17 min: Lauren James powers through, and hits wide with her left, falling as she does so. That was close once again.
15 min: Sam Tierney makes a desperate stop for Leicester on the line. Chelsea pile on and on.
14 min: Harder escapes down the right-hand channel, cuts in and then her shot is smuggled behind.
13 min: Leicester only lost 1-0 to Arsenal last time out and it would feel like a win to end the game so close this time. Chelsea have been all over them.
11 min: Leicester try and take a moment. There’s a blizzard blowing through them. Leitzig the goalie tries to play keep-ball but Chelsea press high up and James almost gtes in for a second.
9 min: It’s early days but that had been coming and more feels like coming. James sets up Cuthbert and the side netting is rattled.
Goal! Chelsea 1-0 Leicester (Reiten, 8)
Harder finds space down the right and crosses in, and Reiten stabs home. It’s a fine first-time finish. Too easy.
Updated
6 min: Charles speeds down left for Chelsea, and the ball is knocked behind rather hurriedly. The Chelsea corners are racking up already.
4 min: Chelsea corner and then another, but this time Leicester get it clear.
Updated
3 min: Pernille Harder is the striker in place of Sam Kerr tonight. It’s quite loud on Jack Goodchild Way tonight, a fine place for a night game but one of the coldest places around on winter days.
1 min: Off they go at Kingsmeadow. Chelsea, how long will they take to get in gear. Emma Hayes’ rotation clearly has Sunday’s FA Cup final with Manchester United in mind.
And the teams are making their way to the Kingsmeadow field for what is such an important night for both teams. The Liquidator accompanies them to the centre circle.
Updated
The FA Player stream is dropping some actually decent Italo-House circa ‘91 tunes, but as the match draws near, suddenly some Roni Size-style drum and bass, minimal style. You never got this in the days of Ted Croker or even Adam “Wendy” Crozier.
Per the BBC:
Chelsea make six changes to the side who beat Everton 7-0. Ann Katrin-Berger replaces Zecira Musovic in goal. Jess Carter comes in to the defence in place of Maren Mjelde. Melanie Leupolz, Pernille Harder, Erin Cuthbert and Lauren James start while Sam Kerr is on the bench.
For Leicester: Missy Goodwin and Remy Siemsen come in to the side in place of Ashleigh Plumptre and Sophie Howard who are not in the matchday squad. Jemma Purfield replaces Molly Pike in midfield.
Ruthless is a word that has been bandied around many a time to describe this Chelsea side. Their first-half display against Everton encapsulated why. Five shots on target, five goals scored were the stats at the break as the Blues eventually cruised to a 7-0 victory. Emma Hayes’s options in attack are enviable. Guro Reiten and Sam Kerr got one apiece, a partnership up front that has defined their season. When Kerr was forced off early, on came Pernille Harder to score with her first touch. The Denmark captain has been missing for much of this campaign with a long-term hamstring issue but announced her return in style with a double and a player-of-the-match performance. Goals from midfield – Sophie Ingle, Jessie Fleming and later Erin Cuthbert – completed the scoring. Chelsea are up to second, Manchester United and that top spot firmly in their sights. It is getting harder to see how anyone will prevent them from lifting their fourth successive WSL title. Sophie Downey
Headline news: Sam Kerr is on the bench after her injured ankle, though not suffered at the King’s Coronation hobnobbing with Nick Cave, instead happening in the romp over Everton when she limped off.
Sam Kerr today led her nation’s delegation at the Coronation of King Charles III.
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) May 6, 2023
We’re so proud of you, @SamKerr1. 💙 pic.twitter.com/YaGwIEsTXG
Updated
Here are the teams
Chelsea: Berger, Perisset, Carter, Eriksson, Charles, Mosegaard-Harder, Leupolz, James, Cankovic, Reiten, Cuthbert. Subs: Musovic, Ingle, Svitkova, Fleming, Mjelde,
Johanna Kaneryd, Kerr, Kadeisha Buchanan, Abdullina.
Your Chelsea XI: Locked in. 🔒#CFCW pic.twitter.com/DOdhlkXJkP
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) May 10, 2023
Leicester: Leitzig, Bott, Purfield, Mace, Nevin, Green, Tierney, Whelan, Goodwin, Siemsen, Cain. Subs: Lambourne, Pike, Jones, O’Brien, Levell, Smith, Robinson, Reavill.
The Foxes to line up at Kingsmeadow 🦊#CHELEI pic.twitter.com/w5Aq8PebB1
— LCFC Women (@LCFC_Women) May 10, 2023
Updated
Preamble
The passage to Chelsea defending their title is clear, and it involves winning every remaining match, with two games in hand on Manchester United and four points deficit on the league leaders. More of the same from last time out, a 7-0 defeat of Everton that helped along the goal difference, and Emma Hayes’ team will be set fair. Leicester have plenty to play for, being in serious relegation trouble, two points clear of bottom-placed Reading with a game in hand. After losing eight of their nine away league games this season, Leicester travel to Kingsmeadow with the daunting prospect of facing a team hitting their stride as they go for four titles in a row.
Kick-off is 7pm, Kingston time. Join me.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man Utd Women | 20 | 42 | 50 |
| 2 | Chelsea Women | 18 | 36 | 46 |
| 3 | Man City Women | 20 | 25 | 44 |
| 4 | Arsenal Women | 18 | 30 | 41 |
| 5 | Aston Villa Women | 20 | 8 | 33 |
| 6 | Everton Women | 19 | -4 | 27 |
| 7 | Liverpool FC Women | 20 | -14 | 22 |
| 8 | West Ham Women | 19 | -18 | 17 |
| 9 | Brighton & Hove Albion Women | 19 | -31 | 16 |
| 10 | Tottenham Hotspur Women | 20 | -19 | 14 |
| 11 | Leicester Women | 19 | -27 | 13 |
| 12 | Reading Women | 20 | -28 | 11 |
