After an evenly-contested opening 45 minutes, Chelsea’s Sandy Baltimore fired the hosts ahead with a fierce finish just before the break.
Andrée Jeglertz’s Blues were the better side in the second half but were left with an uphill battle to climb when Ayaka Yamashita was dismissed for a foul on Alyssa Thompson on 75 minutes.
City were boosted by the return of Vivianne Miedema, who played her first set of Barclays Women’s Super League minutes since March, as we chased an equaliser.
But it would be the only positive as our nine-game unbeaten start to the Women’s Super League came to an end with a 1-0 defeat as City drop to second in the table.
WHAT HAPPENED
As two extremely talented teams went head-to-head, we were treated to an end-to-end thriller, where the winner would keep, or claim, the top spot of the WSL table.
Bunny Shaw stretched Chelsea’s backline straight from kick-off and she teed up Aoba Fujino on four minutes, but the Japanese forward’s shot flew wide of the post from 12 yards out.
Moments later, Fujino was given a second sight of goal after the ball rebounded in behind in her favour but the her heavy touch allowed Hannah Hampton to collect.
At the other end, Chelsea’s Melvine Malard and Jade Rose had an eye-catching battle.
The striker had one effort from a tight angle with Yamashita’s outstretched hand denying the Chelsea forward with replays showing it took a late deflected.
Alyssa Thompson’s speed was also a threat and a cross evaded Malard to Ellie Carpenter who fired the ball back across the City goal from the back post. Skipper Rebecca Knaak did brilliantly to clear the ball from further danger as Chelsea began to grow into the game.
They finished the half strongly and got the breakthrough just before half-time when Baltimore shot’s from the right corner of the City box flashed past Yamashita to leave Jeglertz’s side with work to do after the break.
City’s were inches away from an equaliser when Chelsea somehow survived a brilliant break.
Aoba Fujino sent Iman Beney down the right before Shaw looped Beney’s pass towards the Chelsea goal. Hemp looked to turn the ball in at the back post but somehow didn’t make contact and the ball just missed the far post.
Substitute Miedema sent Shaw through on goal minutes later, but her shot was blocked by Bronze as Jeglertz’s side continued to pile on the pressure.
However, City were reduced to 10 when Yamashita was dismissed for a foul on Alyssa Thompson just outside the City box on 75 minutes. And from the free-kick, Aggie Beever struck the underside of the bar.
Despite being a player down, City still looked the most dangerous in the dying minutes with Beney going closest with a shot on 90 minutes which flew just over the bar.
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
For the first time ever, Rebecca Knaak led City’s team out onto the pitch.
The Germany international has been handed the armband during a match on a handful of occasions, but this was the first time she captained the Blues from kick-off.
And it’s no less than she deserves. Once again, the towering centre-back was loud, commanding and made it difficult for Chelsea to carve out any clear-cut chances.
HOW WE LINED UP
Chelsea XI | Hampton, Carpenter, Malard (Beever-Jones 35’), Baltimore (Hamano 46’), Thompson, McCabe, Kaptein, Walsh, Bronze (C), Buchanan (Buurman 13’), Potter (Cuthbert 87’)
Subs | Peng, Nusken, Bjorn, Lasova, Hamano, Brown.
CITY XI | Yamashita (Cumings 78’), Beney, Rose, Knaak (C), Wamser (Mead 87’), Coffey (Blindkilde Brown 63’), Hasegawa, Fowler (Miedema 63’), Fujino, Hemp, Shaw
Subs | Shimizu, Clinton, Casparij, Lohmann, Prior.Â
UP NEXT
As our run of a busy fixture period continues, our attention turns back to the UEFA Champions League.
City travel to BK Hacken on Wednesday 18 November, with kick-off in Sweden set for 17:45 (UK).
City will be looking to continue our unbeaten run on the European stage and move closer to the top four.
We currently sit sixth with six points from our one win and three draws.
