Thank you so much for joining us for this absolutely thrilling first leg of the Women’s Champions League quarter-final between two English powerhouses. Manchester City have ended Chelsea’s 28-match unbeaten run under new boss Sonia Bompastor and they did it in skilful style, completely nullifying their opponents. To catch up on all the action have a read of the report below. We will be back this weekend to bring you WSL action and we will also bring you all the updates from the Women’s Champions League second legs next week. Until then, have a good week.
Updated
Yes, Vivianne Miedema will grab the headlines tonight but a word on the performance from Kerolin. She was the one to spark the attack this evening and got the crowd on their feet when City needed a lift.
To show just how good City’s defence was this evening, this is the first game all season Chelsea have not scored. They had won 26 games and the two games they drew were 1-1 (against Leicester) and 2-2 (against Brighton).
Will that WSL fixture potentially benefit City’s Champions League bid? Chelsea may enact revenge for the defeat on Saturday and then City could seal this tie next week. It is just so hard to predict with the amount of games the clubs are playing against each other in the space of 12 days.
With the two clubs playing one another four times in a row, Chelsea’s unbeaten run was likely to fall. But I doubt anyone would have predicted just how well Man City could dominate them. The Blues just completely nullified in the box. City superb. How will a Bompastor Chelsea side reply to a defeat? No one knows. They will play each other in the WSL on the weekend before this reverse fixture.
Full-time: Man City 2-0 Chelsea
Chelsea have lost their first game of the season and City are in the driving seat in this quarter-final.
90 + 5 min: It’s a slow build up but Chelsea manage to clear.
90 + 4 min: City have won a free kick in a great position. They will want to kick Chelsea while they are down here.
90 + 3 min: How amazing is it to see Miedema back to her best? Particularly after her ACL injuries. What a player. Also Chelsea have missed another opportunity to score but in this game that is the same as saying water is wet.
90 + 1 min: There will be five minutes added.
90 min: Chelsea are very likely heading to their first loss of the season. Not only that but they will have to overturn a 2-0 loss in their second leg.
It was a good corner delivery for Chelsea but Nusken couldn’t capitalise on her header. City move quickly and Kerolin sets up Miedema who slots it in the left corner. What an impact she has had.
GOAL! Man City 2-0 Chelsea (Miedema, 89)
It’s her again!
Updated
88 min: Another Chelsea corner, can they equalise?
87 min: City alleviate the pressure and Kerolin champions a counter. She finds Miedema who takes a shot which is saved by Hampton. Then the offside flag is raised. This game is full of action.
86 min: My word, Kaptein almost scores but Yamashita saves. She can’t keep control of it and Bronze wins a corner. Baltimore sends it in but it’s well cleared by City. I have a feeling they will hold into this lead despite huge Chelsea pressure.
85 min: Beever-Jones has an effort from just outside of the box but it is straight at Yamashita. That save was relatively easy for the goalkeeper but she has had a good game this evening.
84 min: Aleixandri is okay to continue and play gets back underway. Chelsea are still on top but they just cannot find a way through this City defence.
82 min: Aleixandri is down here and in need of some treatment after she fairly tackles Bronze. So a bit of a break in play.
81 min: Kaneryd whacks the bar! How has she not scored from there? Yamashita does just enough to put her off.
79 min: This is a game Sam Kerr would thrive in, during her time at Chelsea she has been the player to provide a goal even when the team don’t necessarily deserve one. Unfortunately she is still sidelined with her ACL injury. She has been named in Chelsea’s WCL squad for the knockout stages but she is not included this evening.
78 min: This match is slipping away from Chelsea and that is thanks to the incredible performance from City. One of the best matches they have played all season.
76 min: City make a change with Park off for Laura Blindkilde Brown. Chelsea have a free kick and it is taken by Hamano but the ball is poor and out for a goal kick.
75 min: Will City want a bit more of a buffer for all of their efforts tonight? They have been the superior team but only one goal separates the teams. The second leg of this quarter-final will take place at Stamford Bridge next week. Here come City to try and add to their tally with a long range Ouahabi effort but Hampton collects.
73 min: Chelsea makes a change with Ramirez off for Hamano.
72 min: Chelsea looked like they had worked a nice bit of skill into a goal there, Beever-Jones passes into the box to Ramirez who hits the back of the net. But she is ruled offside. A warning shot for City.
70 min: Ramirez is now down, it looks like a spot of cramp. A nice bit of sportsmanship as Yamashita helps stretch out her her. The Colombia international is now back to her feet and okay to continue.
69 min: If I were a Chelsea player it would annoy me to no end if the club’s perfect record this season went up in flames at the Joie Stadium. The team haven’t made a big deal about their invincible season but internally surely it will frustrate them if they can’t get back into this match?
67 min: City’s defence is just exquisite right now. Chelsea are getting into the box but all of their threats are nullified by this well drilled defence. A thoroughly good performance all round for Nick Cushing’s team so far.
65 min: A lovely ball to Miedema sees her make a great run, her resulting shot forces Hampton into a save. She can’t collect but Bright eventually clears. City taste blood and they want more. Before they do they make a change with Fowler off for Laura Coombs.
63 min: Remember if this score stays as it is as well, while Chelsea won’t be out of the Champions League their unbeaten streak would be over. Sonia Bompastor has not lost a game as Chelsea manager yet.
62 min: On the balance of this game City do deserve to be ahead. What a moment for Miedema. Could that be the decisive goal? Of course there is a lot of football to be played in this first leg and an entire second leg but it could be the difference.
GOAL! Man City 1-0 Chelsea (Miedema, 61)
Finally! Fowler is over the corner and her delivery is straight into the box. It is scrappy but Chelsea get it clear. City send it back in and Hampton saves but it comes back to Miedema and she finishes.
Updated
60 min: Hasegawa is having a great game and she wins the ball in a great position. She, Miedema and Kerolin all link up and they win a corner.
59 min: Baltimore takes the corner again but Yamashita reads i perfectly to pluck it out of the air. City now counter, Kerolin has a fantastic run and she cross in but Bronze’s header intercepts in a great bit of defending. Chelsea make some changes with Walsh and James off for Rytting Kaneryd and Nusken.
58 min: Bronze has so much space to cross it into the box but again no one is there to latch onto it. It’s frustrating to watch at both ends right now, both sets of players doing everything right until the last pass. Chelsea now win a corner.
56 min: Chelsea keep creating great chances but then wasting them by gifting the ball back to City with sloppy passes. City are definitely showing more cohesion in this game but they are also yet to capitalise to break the deadlock, the latest shot from Roord not powerful enough to trouble Hampton.
54 min: The corner delivery is to the edge of the box but it is eventually popped in. Fowler aims towards goal but Hampton reads it well to collect.
Updated
53 min: James takes the free kick but City easily clear it and they look to counter but it’s cut out. It’s a bit like watching tennis at the moment the amount of movement there is on the ball. Kerolin has a heroic run but Bright puts on a great tackle but concedes a corner.
52 min: Beever-Jones wins a free kick but it is quite far out and Chelsea run it back to halfway. As the Blues work it up the pitch Prior gives away another free kick for a foul on Ramirez. another good opportunity for Chelsea.
51 min: A lovely ball is given to Ramirez but again she doesn’t have the support and her pass into the box only reaches Hasegawa. City counter and it comes to Miedema in the other box, she finds Casparji but her shot is wide. This game goes from cagey to wide open to a space of a second.
49 min: Baltimore is the taker and she passes to James who takes a long range effort but Yamashita saves well.
48 min: City are doing a great job of pinning Chelsea in their own half. It takes a long pass from Hampton for them to get out of the half and Bronze wins a free kick.
47 min: Kirk Klinger has emailed and wants to see more changes to the Chelsea team in this half:
Disappointing first half for Chelsea few touches on MC half of field. Personally don’t like Ramirez and Beever-Jones on pitch together Kaneryd a better fit with her speed. James needs more of ball on offensive side of pitch she’s a 10 her vision and ball skills unlike another. Looking forward to 2nd half and hoping for some CFC fireworks.
I think manager Sonia Bompastor has put some squad rotation in with the volume of games the club have against the same opposition, hence why Rytting Kaneryd started in the bench tonight. There’s no doubt she’ll feature at some point tonight.
Back underway! Man City 0-0 Chelsea
Can either side find a breakthrough? All to come. Chelsea are making a change with Wieke Kaptein on for Macario and City have also made a change with Vivianne Miedema on for Murphy.
A bit of half-time reading for you:
Both sides played well in the first 45 but I’d say City have the slight edge. They have had more spells in control. Both teams just need to be more clinical in the final third and we could have a goal fest on our hands.
Half-time: Man City 0-0 Chelsea
A great half but the deadlock stands.
45 + 1 min: Hasegawa passes a magnificent ball but Bronze muscles Murphy off of the ball to clear.
44 min: Macario has a sloppy pass and gifts the ball away, City break and Chelsea put it out for a corner. Bjorn had to do that or Murphy was about to pounce. City take the corner short and Kerstin Casparji takes a shot but it’s out for a goal kick. Sonia Bompastor was absolutely fuming how Chelsea got themselves in that situation.
42 min: Kerolin does well to put pressure on Bright for her to spill the ball out of play. But then City are offside.
40 min: The battle between Ramirez and Laia Aleixandri is such an interesting one. The Man City star winning their latest duel and clearing danger for the hosts.
38 min: I’ve just cracked open my salted popcorn, it’s definitely a game for it. Incredible performances so far.
36 min: Ramirez makes a great run into the box and lays off the perfect ball but no one is there to pick it up. Feels like a game where both sides are destined not to score. All the chances but no scores. And City prove my point with a cracking break but Chelsea defend well to clear.
34 min: Ramirez is caught by Ouahabi, a bit of a soft free kick, which gives Chelsea another attacking opportunity. Baltimore pops it in but Fowler clears.
Updated
33 min: Oh my word, that is what Chelsea can do if they are given a bit of attack. James crosses in and finds Macario but it’s over the bar. The last 10 minutes have been all City but give Chelsea a slight chance and they can capitalise – it is exactly what happened at the weekend in the League Cup final.
31 min: The pressure from City is excellent at the moment, Chelsea unable to clear the danger. The hosts come but this time time Baltimore is able to win the ball to relieve some heat.
29 min: City keep knocking on the door and this time Lily Murphy gets the better of Bronze. She rifles off a shot but Hampton saves. Both sides have absorbed a lot of attacking pressure so far, it’s a question of who will crack first.
28 min: A poor pass from Baltimore sees City pounce but the resulting pass from Fowler has too much on it and it’s out for a goal kick. Chelsea have to be wary of their passing at the back, it is proving a weak area so far.
26 min: James wanted a free kick but it isn’t given, and rightly so it would have been soft, and City clear. They haven’t had a good attack in the a while City, maybe now they can thread something together. No they can’t. They get it to the edge of the box but Kerolin gives away a free kick and Chelsea can clear.
24 min: Chelsea keep up the pressure and Beever-Jones makes a storming run into the box but her cross is out for a corner. Baltimore takes it but Yamashita watches it all the way and collects.
23 min: Baltimore chips the ball over a defender to find Ramirez, a sublime bit of skill, and the Colombia international passes Beever-Jones but she is offside.
21 min: A very nice touch from Prior, a ball is passed upfield to try and find Ramirez but Prior’s touch takes it away from her and directs it towards Yamashita. A calm and assured but of defending.
20 min: Chelsea are growing into the matchbut City’s defence is so pinpoint at the moment the Blues have no room to breathe. A really great start from the hosts.
18 min: That was promising from Chelsea but a bit of miscommunication lets them down. Mayra Ramirez makes a break down the right but her pass only find Yamashita.
16 min: Beever-Jones is down here and looks in some pain after a challenge but she is okay to continue. She is just putting her boot back on before we get back underway. She hobbles away when back to her feet, she is staying on the pitch for now.
14 min: Chelsea run it on to the edge of the area through James and she wins a corner. It’s taken short by Catarina Macario and Baltimore sends it in but City clear. Chelsea do have another corner though. This time it is straight at Yamashita. A great start to this game so far.
12 min: Fowler takes the corner and it is one lifted off of the training ground, it eventually comes in but Bright heads clear. The danger is not gone yet as City remain in possession but Chelsea then nab the ball in the midfield.
11 min: Fowler is standing over this set piece ball and the delivery is a bit deep but Lucy Bronze sends it out for a corner.
10 min: City work it again and Roord is encouraged to shoot from far out by fans and she takes them up on it. The effort is straight at Hampton who collects. Millie Bright then gives away a free kick, in a great position for City.
Updated
9 min: Kerolin does really well to draw Sandy Baltimore to give away a free kick. City will have to build from deep here but their passing is fast paced. A ball doesn’t quite reach Park and Chelsea can clear. Possession then exchanges hands.
7 min: Chelsea this time in the box but City do well to defend, end-to-end football so far. Joe Pearson has emailed with his snack and alcohol seems a theme this evening:
Currently indulging in a glass of Chardonnay and a couple of Samoas (Girl Scout cookies with caramel, coconut, and dark chocolate). Jealous?
Yes Joe, I am quite jealous. Especially of those cookies.
6 min: A great save from Hannah Hampton but the offside flag goes up afterwards. That chance came as Erin Cuthbert slipped and Mary Fowler wins the ball, finding Jill Roord but she is offside.
4 min: Lauren James crosses into the box but Ayaka Yamashita reads it well to pluck it out of the air. Both sides trying to get a fast start in this one.
3 min: Kerolin is right into this match, City thread her the ball and she whips an effort in from outside the box. It goes just over the bar.
2 min: Both teams finding their feet in this one. Peter Collins has emailed and got involved in snacj chat, though I am unsure it counts as a snack:
A bottle of rioja!
Kick-off! Man City 0-0 Chelsea
Here we go then. Can either side take control of this Champions League quarter-final? All to come. Also a reminder that VAR is in operation this evening.
I want to hear from you and I want to revive one of my favourite talking points, snack chat. What have you got to treat yourself with during this match? Let me know via email.
I have stumbled across a fun fact. According to Opta, if Chelsea avoid defeat this evening they will have the longest ever unbeaten streak across all competitions for an English top-flight team in the WSL era. They are currently on 31 games unbeaten.
Wolfsburg v Barcelona has finished 4-1 in favour of the defending champions. The German side have a lot to do when they travel to Barca next week.
Peter Oh has emailed and said:
After yesterday’s proceedings at Real Mudrid were muddied by the state of the pitch, I hope the hosts will steer clear of any unfavourable comparisons to Mudchester City.
I love the puns Peter, as ever. But I have good news, the Joie Stadium pitch looks in good condition. If anyone is confused by what we’re talking about, have a read of this:
There is another first leg of a quarter-final taking place already today between Barcelona and Wolfsburg. Defending champions Barca are winning 3-1.
Arsenal fell to a 2-0 defeat against Real Madrid in the first leg of their quarter-final yesterday. You can recap the action here:
Chelsea are unbeaten in 28 games under Sonia Bompastor – with 26 wins – and arrive in Manchester for the first leg of their European quarter-final as strong favourites to progress to the semi-finals, and harbour realistic ambitions of winning their first Women’s Champions League title in Lisbon in May.
The task of trying to beat this seemingly unstoppable force, over two legs across the next nine days, falls to Manchester City, who are in the unenviable position of facing Chelsea in four consecutive games in three competitions. Nick Cushing, who has been back at the club for only a week, has said their performance in his first game back in charge, the League Cup final defeat on Saturday, gave him belief that they could better Chelsea in Europe – but what do they need to do to achieve that?
Read the full piece:
Team news
The team news is here! Manchester City make three changes from the League Cup final with Jess Park, Kerolin and Lily Murphy coming into the starting XI for Aoba Fujino, Bunny Shaw and Vivianne Miedema. Fujino and Shaw are injured, while Miedema drops to the bench.
Man City: Yamashita, Casparij, Prior, Aleixandri (C), Ouahabi, Hasegawa, Roord, Park, Kerolin, Murphy, Fowler
Subs: Keating, Startup, Layzell, Miedema, Coombs, Wienroither, Blindkilde Brown
Chelsea, meanwhile, make two changes with Keira Walsh and Aggie Beever-Jones coming into the starting team for Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Sjoeke Nüsken. There is also no Sam Kerr in the matchday squad.
Chelsea: Hampton; Bronze, Björn, Bright, Baltimore; Walsh, Cuthbert, Macario; Beever-Jones, Ramirez, James.
Subs: Spencer, Cox, Nüsken, Lawrence, Kaptein, Rytting Kaneryd, Charles, Hamano, Jean-Francois, Brown.
Updated
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the first leg of the Women’s Champions League quarter-final between Manchester City and Chelsea.
It is also the second game of four that the two clubs will play against each other over a period of 12 days. The first was the League Cup final which Chelsea won 2-1.
City have been hit with injury news before tonight’s match with both Bunny Shaw and Aoba Fujino ruled out with muscle injuries. For Chelsea, Sam Kerr has been added to the club’s Women’s Champions League squad for the knockout stages but it is unclear if she will feature tonight.
The team news will drop shortly so stay updated before kick-off at 8pm GMT.
