Keira Walsh’s long-range strike saw Chelsea return to winning ways with a hard-fought 1-0 Women’s Super League victory over Tottenham.
After two draws in domestic and European competition, Sonia Bompastore’s side dominated but laboured against opposition who had lost all 11 of their previous meetings.
It took a brilliant 25-yard low drive from Walsh which barely got off the floor to break the deadlock in spectacular style in the 61st minute to clinch a fifth win in six matches and maintain top spot.
Prior to that point the defending champions had lacked a cutting edge in the final third, creating a number of half-chances but rarely troubling Spurs goalkeeper Lize Kop despite Alyssa Thompson causing numerous problems down Chelsea’s left.
The other positive for Chelsea was the return of Lucy Bronze, who came on in the final three minutes for her first appearance since England’s Euros victory in July, after which it emerged she had been playing with a fractured leg.
Thompson had the first chance, cutting inside but curling a shot wide to set the tone for what became a largely frustrating afternoon, and late in the half saw her shot blocked by Toko Koga.
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The Wieke Kaptein twice wasted unmarked headers, the second in first-half added time from Ellie Carpenter’s cross a particularly glaring miss.
Tottenham almost were almost architects of their own downfall when Kop claimed a cross and then dropped the ball at her feet in an attempt to play out from the back unaware Aggie Beever-Jones was lurking behind her.
The Chelsea striker nipped around the goalkeeper, who only just managed to scramble the ball away, but the pattern of the game continued into the second half with Nathalie Björn only able to divert over a Erin Cuthbert cross with her knee.
Thompson had another shot blocked by Ashleigh Neville in a penalty area scramble, with Johanna Rytting Kaneryd bundling a header wide.
It took a moment of magic in a match lacking in such to settle the game, created out of the weight of pressure Spurs were under.
Defender Clare Hunt’s rushed pass from deep in her own penalty area was picked off by Carpenter and although Spurs captain Bethany England allowed Walsh to side-step her far too easily the quality of the midfielder’s subsequent strike could not be argued with.
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It took a moment of magic in a match lacking in such to settle the game, created out of the weight of pressure Spurs were under.
Defender Clare Hunt’s rushed pass from deep in her own penalty area was picked off by Carpenter and although Spurs captain Bethany England allowed Walsh to side-step her far too easily the quality of the midfielder’s subsequent strike could not be argued with.
