Ryan Asman

Chelsea thrashed Crystal Palace 7-0 on Friday evening to make it two wins out of two in the Women’s Super League this season. 

Guro Reiten scored twice whilst Aggie Beever-Jones, Lucy Bronze, Lauren James, Nathalie Bjorn and Catarina Macario also found the net for the Blues.

5,047 supporters were at Selhurst Park to watch the Eagles first home game in the WSL.

James’ early Chelsea effort was deflected into goalkeepers hands, whilst at the other end, Katie Stengle got onto Fliss Gibbons great long ball forward and shot across goal and wide.

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd played the ball back to Beever-Jones but it was scrambled behind for a corner.  In the 7th minute, James cut in from the right and sent a shot over as the visitors had more opportunities.

Chelsea had the ball in the net in 11th minute but referee Emily Heaslip blew her whistle as the ball was on its way in for a potential head injury to Katrine Veje.

The Blues were having to get through 11 Palace players behind the ball when they attacked, and it took to the 19th minute for them to have a shot at goal when Shae Yanez saved Rytting Kaneryd’s shot.

After a Chelsea defensive mistake, Indiah-Paige Riley had the hosts first effort on target two minutes later which Hannah Hampton kept out.

James immediately had another chance for the away side but fired this one wide.  Erin Cuthbert had their next effort at goal in the 28th minute but Yanez claimed the shot easily.

On occasions when Palace attacked, the final pass or decision was letting them down. 

Bronze fired over from 25-yards as the Blues struggled to break down the hosts defence.

Chelsa did take the lead in the 38th minute when after the home side lost the ball, they counter-attacked quickly and Rytting Kaneryd’s cross found Beever-Jones who finished from 12 yards.

Palace had a chance to equalise in the 42nd minute but Annabel Blanchard’s sidefooted effort went just wide.  This turned out to be the final opportunity of the first half.

Bronze made it 2-0 to Chelsea three minutes into the second half when a cross was headed out to her and first time she riffled into the top corner of the net from just inside the area to score her first goal for the Blues.

In the 58th minute, James tapped in near enough on the goalline to score the visitors third finishing a low cross from second half substitute Mayra Ramirez.

Blanchard had the Eagles first chance of the second half in 61st minute but her low effort trickled through into Hampton’s hands.

Ashley Lawrence got forward on the left-hand side but shot over as the away side looked to extend their lead further.

Stengel saw another chance go just the wrong side of the post for Palace in the 68th minute.  Stengel couldn’t get on the end of Josie Green’s dangerous shortly after but the assistants flag was up for offside anyway.

Chelsea scored a fourth in the 74th minute when Reiten’s low shot found the net after some nice build up involving Beever-Jones, Eve Perisset, Macario and Wieke Kaptein.

Four minutes later and it was 5-0 when Bjorn found space at the far post and got on the end of Macario’s corner.

Reiten added a sixth for Chelsea and scored her second of the night in the final minute of the 90 with the Norwegian international finishing with a low shot.

There was still time for the Blues to score a seventh when Yanez kept out Ramirez’s initial effort but Macario put the rebound into the net to wrap up the dominant win.

Chelsea have made a good start to the season under new manager Sonia Bompastor having won both their games, scoring eight goals and yet to concede. 

Crystal Palace haven’t scored yet in either of their defeats and let in 11 goals but they did have chances in this match against the defending champions and Laura Kaminski’s side will have to take those in other games, and tighten up in defence, if they are going to survive in the WSL.

Line ups

Crystal Palace (5-4-1): Yanez, Gibbons, Veje, Everett (c), Woodham, Green (Larkin 79’), Geji, Cato, Blanchard (Weerden 90’+1), Riley (Sharpe 53’), Stengel (Pritchard 90’+1)

Unused substitutes: Maj-Majasaari, Arthur, Atkinson

Booked – Blanchard

Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Hampton, Lawrence (Baltimore 64’), Bjorn, Bright (c), Bronze (Perisset 64’), Nusken (Macario 71’), James, Reiten, Cuthbert (Kaptein 54’), Rytting Kaneryd (Ramirez 54’), Beever-Jones

Unused substitutes: Musovic, Hamano, Mpome, Buchanan

Goals – Beever-Jones 38’, Bronze 48’, James 58’, Reiten 74’, 90’, Bjorn 78’, Macario 90’+5

Booked – James

Referee – Emily Heaslip

Attendance – 5,047