New faces but same old Chelsea in winning start

Can anyone stop Chelsea as the Women’s Super League season resumed? was one question that was on everyone’s minds.

Although it is far too early to say, Sonia Bompastor’s side’s performance at Stamford Bridge was the same old as before, but they also displayed a ruthless streak to defeat Manchester City once more.

Although there were debutants on both sides, there were a few minor adjustments, the narrative of the reigning champions’ victory story didn’t much change.

“Both teams are nowhere near where they want to be,” he said. Gilly Flaherty, a former Chelsea defender, told BBC Radio 5 Live, “They could have had more chances if City had made better decisions going forward.”

Chelsea did not feel invincible last season, and there were times when they could be exploited, which was the same sentiment.

No one, however, was able to capitalize on their success in the WSL, FA Cup, and League Cup.

Instead of figuring out how to stop their opponents’ movements and maneuver a familiar face-to-face setup from Andree Jeglertz in his first game in charge of City, they needed to settle in on Friday.

Chelsea’s presentation of blockbuster deadline day signing Alyssa Thompson walking out on a red carpet before kick-off had done a nice job of tying up the game.

The Australian superstar striker Sam Kerr, who had suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury for the first time in 20 months, returned to the squad.

Ellie Carpenter, a promising full-back addition from eight-time Champions League champions Lyon, made her debut as well.

However, after adjusting City’s fluid system, they quickly resumptated their game-winning ways.

They realized Carpenter’s pace was making the visiting defense problems worse for City captain Alex Greenwood. Carpenter assisted Aggie Beever-Jones for the opener, and Chelsea kept getting the ball to him.

After City had already had some good chances of their own, but City did not take them, they doubled their lead in the second half, capitalizing once more on their attacking prowess.

Despite all of City’s pressure and creativity, an own goal from Niamh Charles on a Greenwood set-piece was the only thing missing from the Chelsea support’s otherwise flawless situation.

The show was run by Carpenter and they won three points against one of their title rivals.

“Yes, I’m pleased with the outcome, but I also like how well the performance came out,” manager Bompastor said. We had the most control and created the riskiest opportunities in the first half.

“We were able to keep some really good players quiet at City.” Although this is only the first game of the season, I’m pleased with how we started the season.

It’s always important to defeat a big opponent and a person who is attempting to fight for the league in terms of the psychological aspect.

Bompastor and Carpenter had a well-established relationship before she arrived in London during the Frenchwoman’s three years at Lyon.

Carpenter had a chance to make an impression right away as England international Lucy Bronze was recovering from her tibia injury from Euro 2025.

And she had an immediate, impressive impact.

With her direct approach and risky deliveries into the box, Carpenter never looked back and took on Greenwood each time she received the ball.

Ellie gave a fantastic performance. I was not surprised by Ellie’s Chelsea debut, which she had already played for and wholly in the league, “added Bompastor.”

She plays very well. She obviously had an immediate impact on both the performance and the outcome.

It had a different feel for City than it did for Chelsea, despite the familiarity.

Jeglertz, the Swedish manager, subtle modifications and encouragement to his team’s dynamism helped put his own stamp on their style.

Greenwood switched from the left-hand side to the right and was frequently inverted, as opposed to the centre-back role she has historically played for City.

Yui Hasegawa and Sydney Lohmann, both midfielders, frequently switched roles and set up differently when pressing Chelsea’s backline.

What then worked and what didn’t?

We need to be dynamic, Jeglertz said, which is an important aspect of my approach to football. “I believe that having the ability to play in various spaces rather than just one place is essential,” she said.

More options and options are provided by “Hemp’s switch,” not just with crosses but also with central combinations.

“I like versatile players like she is. She plays football with tact and is adept at blending in with other players. She has more opportunities to combine because of it.

We put a lot of effort into the high press, and I thought the second half was flawless. We didn’t really anticipate that because of how Chelsea’s formation was at first.