If Emma Hayes’ decision to leave has affected the Chelsea team, then it is not showing, as Lauren James scored a hat trick in a 5-1 win against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea dominated from start to finish as they dismantled a Liverpool side who had only conceded 4 goals in the league before today.
Wales captain Sophie Ingle, making a WSL record 184th appearance, would have an assist to mark her momentous day after 11 minutes. Ingle won the ball in midfield and was part of a beautiful move, playing a precise through ball to James on the left-hand side. James then beat Gemma Bonner with ease and placed a left-footed shot into the far corner.
Matt Beard’s side were level within a minute with a poor goal from a Chelsea perspective. Jess Carter misjudged a through ball, allowing the lively Shanice Van De Sanden to beat the offside trap on the right-hand side. Van De Sanden then crossed into the box, and the ball was bundled over the line by Carter for an own goal past Zecira Musovic.
James was left out of the 2-2 Champions League draw with Real Madrid in midweek but looked rested and back to her best this afternoon, adding an assist to her stat line as Chelsea restored their lead in the 24th minute. A pinpoint James cross from the left-hand side was met by Aggie Beever-Jones, who headed back past Rachael Laws into the bottom left-hand corner.
Chelsea started the second half as they had started the first and almost added to their lead after four minutes of the restart. A deflected cross wasn’t dealt with by the Liverpool goalkeeper, and Sophie Ingle almost scrambled the ball in, only for Gemma Bonner to prevent a goal with a crucial block.
Chelsea then made it 3-1 in the 56th minute as Lauren James scored her second. Kerr played the ball out wide, and unlike the first goal, where she went past her opposite number, this time she stood her opposite number up and fired a left-footed shot past the defender and goalkeeper into the far corner.
Sam Kerr’s sub-par season in front of goal continued nine minutes later, as she missed a great chance to add to one she should have scored in the first half. Kerr will have been disappointed by her finishing today, but she was not ineffective, playing a role in the buildup to both goals in the first half and assisting the third.
If James continues the form she was in today, it might be that Kerr is relegated to a more secondary role this season. If that’s the Chelsea manager’s decision, then Kerr cannot complain. James was imperious all day, completing her first WSL hat-trick in the 64th minute after a cutback by the substitute Johanna Rytting Kaneryd.
Chelsea then rammed home their advantage with a fifth goal in the 78th minute. James was involved again as she played a ball through to Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, who laid the ball back to Nusken to score.
The win marked Chelsea’s sixth win in their opening seven matches and saw them open a six-point lead over second-placed Arsenal. The Gunners will cut the lead back to three points if they win their game in hand at Brighton on Sunday.
