Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham (Fishel 28’, James 51’ | Thomas 76’)
On a miserable weekend for the PGMOL, things might have got even worse had Chelsea Women not silenced talk of a “ghost goal” with an assured victory over Tottenham.
It was already advantage to the champions in the title race courtesy of Arsenal’s defeat to Liverpool. Emma Hayes’ side do not always start as they mean to go on – they have lost on the opening day on each of the last two seasons – but goals from debutant Mia Fishel and Lauren James ensured the perfect beginning to their quest for a fifth consecutive title.
It was just as well James, who had already rattled the crossbar, was able to poke home from close range, with Guro Reiten’s strike having crossed the line moments earlier.
The Shed erupted – the officials and the scoreboard did not blink. The WSL does not have goal-line technology, though it would be possible to install for the games played at main stadia like Stamford Bridge and the Emirates. The officials are still only part time so it is unreasonable to berate them, and it mattered little given James’ finish seconds later, but it is not a good look for the league.
Hayes described it as “madness” that VAR is not being used, adding: “I don’t understand why we don’t have VAR light across the league… I don’t think there should be any excuse.”
For Fishel, at least, this was all a footnote to a perfect afternoon for her new club. The 22-year-old, a childhood Chelsea devotee – albeit from afar growing up in San Diego – could not have dreamed of a better debut, scoring Chelsea’s opener, heading in the opener from Niamh Charles after the England defender had skipped past Celin Bizet Ildhusoy. Fishel was left to lead the line in the absence of Sam Kerr, whom Emma Hayes has confirmed will be available next weekend.
It was all the more special to do it in front of the Stamford Bridge crowd, who reserved their biggest cheer of the afternoon for the returning Fran Kirby, featuring for the first time since her knee injury in February.
The numbers were not what they might have been, however, with an attendance of 14,776. A 5.30pm kick-off on a Sunday cannot have helped.
This fixture has previously sold out – last season it was played here in front of 38,350.
In July Chelsea announced they would be inflating ticket prices; Hayes said the ground felt quite full but when asked if the cost had deterred some, with some seats in the Matthew Harding stand going for £60, she replied: “I’ve said it before, paying £12 to watch an elite-end game, you can’t have the best of both worlds.
“You can’t ask to see the best players in the world, play in this league, and play in a larger stadium, and it be free. So I don’t think it’s about higher ticket cost, respecting that we’re in a cost of living crisis.” Hayes added that it costs around £300,000 to host a match at Stamford Bridge.
“Is this the Emirates”? Taunted the pocket of Tottenham fans in the corner. Even in defeat they will have been heartened.
LAUREN JAMES OPENS HER ACCOUNT FOR THE SEASON!
— Sky Sports WSL (@SkySportsWSL) October 1, 2023pic.twitter.com/0XdRy051dw
Robert Vilahamn’s impact is already clear and he will have been frustrated that so much of their good work was undone by brief moments of sloppiness. Martha Thomas deserved her goal, capitalising as Zecira Musovic spilled the ball to her feet. The Scotland international had already seen her a penalty appeal turned down after a tussle with Millie Bright, and the England captain would deny her again with a vital clearance at the near post.
There is something slightly strange about seeing Bright, James and Jess Carter all in action again so soon. Beth England was forced to watch from the stands as she recovers from hip surgery. The scheduling has not been kind to any of these players but it does not look to have taken the wind out of Chelsea’s sails as the road to five in a row began in style.
Player of the match: Lauren James
Hayes’ “Papa” shirt
Chelsea players, led by Bright, presented Hayes with a shirt reading “Papa 82” on the back as a nod to her father who recently passed away.
Quote of the day
“I said to the fourth official: ‘I bet you’re grateful that went in’.” – Hayes reacts to Reiten’s goal that never was.
Emotional scenes at full time as Chelsea come together to support Emma Hayes following her father's passing.
— Sky Sports WSL (@SkySportsWSL) October 1, 2023pic.twitter.com/ZJadvxHT6T
Arsenal disappoint record crowd
By Glenn Moore
Arsenal 0 Liverpool 1 (Taylor 48′)
Arsenal began this match with five World Cup semi-finalists on the bench, testament to their strength in depth, but also reflecting women’s football’s scheduling crisis.
They ended it with all but World Cup winner Laia Codina on the pitch, but that’s because the Gunners didn’t need a defender. They were desperately scrambling to rescue a point, and perhaps their entire season.
They failed. Liverpool, defending Miri Taylor’s shock 48th-minute goal with organisation and desire, held on to gain their first top flight away victory since January 2020.
It was not what a 54,115 WSL record crowd, breaking the mark Arsenal set last year, had come for – except for the visiting fans packed into an “away end” corner celebrating in the autumn sunshine.
WSL results
- Aston Villa 1-2 Manchester United
- Everton 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
- Arsenal 0-1 Liverpool
- Bristol City 2-4 Leicester City
- West Ham United 0-2 Manchester City
- Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham
For Arsenal it has been a disastrous start to the season. Already knocked out of the Champions League in the first qualifying round they find themselves three points adrift in a league with the tightest of margins.
After a summer of impressive recruitment, and a gate that suggests Arsenal have become the first WSL club to crack the problem of drawing fans in huge numbers to theoretically run-of-the-mill matches, the platform for a successful season seemed laid.
But instead head coach Jonas Eidevall is racing against time to integrate his new signings after a summer in which Arsenal had 16 players at the World Cup including eight involved in the final weekend six weeks ago.
“We have had 10 sessions in four months with a full squad. That’s not great,” he said. “We need to invest time in relationships. Every minute we play, train, counts. We are not at the level we want, we need to be better, we need to develop, we are not having a lot of time to do that.”
“But we can’t use it as an excuse, it is what it is. We need to perform better than today.”
Having been knocked out of the Champions League the WSL is the focus of Arsenal’s season but a club with five players in recuperation from ACL injuries knows better than most the danger of overload and Eidevall ultimately included only two of his five new recruits, Canadian striker Cloe Lacasse and England’s Alessia Russo.
Neither impressed against obdurate opponents who had problems of their own. A combination of Covid-19 and injuries meant Liverpool could only name five of their nine allotted substitutes with star signing Sophie Roman Haug one of many absent forwards.
Arsenal dominated possession and chances, forcing 19 corners and having 18 shots but the longer the game went on the less they seemed likely to score.
In the opening period Rachels Laws saved well from Lottie Wubben-Moy, Katie McCabe, Frida Maanum and Kim Little, but in the second she was largely untroubled. Caitlin Foord hit the post from a corner and the bar when a cross hit her but clear chances were rare.
For all their pressure and talent rarely did Arsenal create a move as slick as the one that led to the goal. Marie Hobinger won possession and nutmegged Lia Walti before releasing Missy Bo Kearns. She went to the byline then cut back a cross that was rolled by Taylor past a flat-footed Manuela Zinsberger.
“Defensively we were outstanding,” said Liverpool manager Matt Beard. “People will say you were lucky…we weren’t, we defended, we put our bodies on the line and made great saves when we needed to.”
But he cautioned: “It’s one game. We beat Chelsea on the opening day last year, everyone was raving about it and then we went on a run without winning for four. We’ll take it game by game.”
Player of the match: Gemma Bonner
No Beth Mead
Beth Mead, working her way back to fitness after last November’s ACL injury, was not on the bench despite having been among the subs for the Champions League qualifying round and spoken in the programme of “starting to feel good now.”
Quote of the day
“Sorry, we want to be better, please come back, give us another chance” – Jonas Eidevall to the Arsenal fans in the record 54,115 crowd.
WSL talking points
Aston Villa were forced to wear the club’s “wet look” shirts despite the controversy surrounding the kit. They were beaten 2-1 by Manchester United.
The new season got off to a nightmare start for Leila Ouahabi, who was shown a red card at West Ham for kicking out at Emma Harries – but it did not faze Manchester City as they ran out 2-0 winners, Netherlands international Jill Roord scoring on debut.
Bristol City shipped four goals on their WSL return – Leicester City’s struggles up front last term seemed to disappear against the newly promoted side. It could be a long season for them.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2LnlNWy
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