As the minutes passed, Manchester United goalkeeper Falon Tullis-Joyce ran into the Chelsea penalty area and joined the attacking corner.
It is the second time this season that the opposing goalkeeper decides to try his luck in the final minutes of a match against WSL champions Chelsea. Aston Villa’s Sabrina D’Angelo almost equalized with her own effort on the opening night of the season.
When you play against Chelsea, sometimes anything goes.
However, Chelsea successfully defended United’s nervous corners and extended new manager Sonia Bompastor’s winning streak from 12 games to 12. It wasn’t the most successful game of the season for her team, but they were lucky.
Chelsea had 64 percent possession, 13 shots compared to United’s three and 38 shots inside the rival area. They won only 1-0 thanks to a Guro Reiten penalty in the 17th minute and remained five points ahead of second-placed Manchester City at the top of the table. They are the only undefeated team in the WSL.
Chances from Johanna Wrighting Kaneryd and Mayra Ramírez in the second half should have sealed the match sooner rather than later, but Chelsea fans held their breath until the end. It was a victory despite an ineffective United attack, with Storm Bert’s wet and windy weather causing problems for both sides at Kingsmeadow, south-west London.
“In the preparation and preparation phases, we didn’t hold the ball and I would have liked my team to hold it more than today,” Bompastor said. “We created a lot of opportunities, but clinically we were not effective enough. In this type of match, if you don’t manage to score the second goal, you leave the door open for your opponent. It happened again today.
“I don’t want to make excuses, but the wind was part of our performance today. Windy weather is the worst when playing soccer. It didn’t help. It affected both teams, but especially when it came to creating and possessing the ball. But we still have to move forward.”
For a long time in the WSL, teams sometimes had to get results. It is a change for the former Lyon boss, who admitted at the start of the season that he was still modifying his playing style due to the WSL’s high-profile opposition to the equivalent top division in his native France.
Chelsea’s Lucy Bronze and United’s Grace Clinton during Sunday’s match (James Fearn/Getty Images)
“We haven’t achieved what I want yet,” Bompastor said when asked how he was progressing with this Chelsea team, having replaced Emma Hayes in the summer. “This is normal. It takes a lot of time.
“I’m happy with the defensive game, when we don’t have the ball. We showed it against Manchester City (2-0 at home last Saturday). The property has room for improvement. Especially if we want to control the game and be the best team in the league, we have to do better.
“Results-wise, we couldn’t have wished for anything better. It’s a perfect start. But I will definitely focus on how we play. “We haven’t won anything yet and it’s important to stay in touch with that fact.”
Chelsea had to lose to beat United before. They tend to be strange opponents. Despite six goals from them on two separate occasions, the most popular scores before this match were 1-0 or 3-1, both against Chelsea. They have only lost once against United in 14 games, but the difference between a game that is a blow or a difficult decision has been very variable.
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Fighting with the hope of winning without becoming overconfident will be the key psychological balance Bopastor needs to see how he performs with his Chelsea team.
“You can feel (the overconfidence) of your team,” he said. “I have experience as a player and now as a coach. I have worked in an environment where the Club won many trophies before (17-time French champion and eight Champions League finals in Lyon), that’s how I feel. That’s one of my strengths, being able to serve and see how I need to lead my group and my content.
Chelsea players don’t have much confidence in themselves. They have the right mentality. They want to work hard. But if that is the case, with a team or with some people, I will tell them or make them understand how they must be to achieve our objectives.”
Bopastor enters a new phase as Chelsea manager and many of his members begin international careers.
The reigning WSL champion started the season with a question mark. A team with a lot of talent without a doubt, but one that has seen more changes than in the last decade. They will return to action after the international window next month. The longer this winning streak lasts, the more attention will be paid.
They faced a big test against United and their best results failed them.
The muscle memory of doing so can be just as valuable as impressive early season performances.
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(Top photo: Guro Reiten celebrates his winner; by James Fearn via Getty Images)
