Chelsea lose control in WSL as Gemma Bonner settles thriller for Liverpool
Gemma Bonner (centre) celebrates scoring Liverpool’s winner in added time. Photograph: Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Getty Images
No League Cup, no FA Cup, no Champions League and, whisper it, possibly no trophy at all. Chelsea’s hopes of retaining their Women’s Super League title in Emma Hayes’s final season at the club took a major blow on Wednesday night after they suffered a 4-3 defeat to Liverpool.
It was end-to-end at Prenton Park, with Chelsea desperate to put the disappointment of Saturday’s Champions League exit behind them and stay in touch with the league leaders, Manchester City.
No team has lost three times in the WSL and gone on to win the league. This was Chelsea’s third defeat this season, six points separating them from City, with the London side now having just one game in hand. City have to play Arsenal and Aston Villa but Chelsea have games against Bristol City, Tottenham and Manchester United to come.
Hayes made three changes to the side that suffered a frustrating 2-0 defeat at home to Barcelona, after a 1-0 win away, to end dreams of reaching a second Champions League final in the manager’s last season at the club.
Notably, Millie Bright returned to the starting XI for the first time since an injury sidelined her in November, while Lauren James was omitted from the matchday squad through injury.
The travelling Blues may be in a battle with City to retain their league title, but Liverpool have ambitions to, sights firmly on a possible fourth-place finish with three points separating them from Manchester United, who they play on Sunday.
Matt Beard made three changes to the team which earned a 1-0 win at relegated Bristol City last time out. Gemma Bonner returned to the starting XI to make her 150th appearance for Liverpool, with Emma Koivisto and Ceri Holland included in place of Lucy Parry, Missy Bo Kearns and Leanne Kiernan.
It took just 10 minutes for Chelsea to go ahead – Aggie Beever-Jones nodding in from a corner with red shirts disappointingly static around her. It was almost two in two minutes when Sjoeke Nüsken forced a save from the goalkeeper Teagan Micah but Taylor Hinds was on hand to hook the parried ball off the line at the far post.
The early goal had made it look like this would be an opportunity for Chelsea to make up the goal difference gap between themselves and City, but Liverpool are a well organised side and they also tested the visiting team, with two shots on target in the first half matching their opponent’s tally.
Liverpool’s struggle to be clinical in the first half was firmly dispelled in the second though. They found an equaliser within six minutes of the restart, with Sophie Román Haug similarly unmarked for a corner and able to turn in.
The home team went agonisingly close to taking the lead not long after, with Mia Enderby causing Bright endless problems and forcing a save from Hannah Hampton before having another effort cleared.
The momentum had shifted, and a minute later Beard’s team took the lead, Erin Cuthbert turning Bonner’s flick-on into her own net from another corner.
Chelsea could not find the answer to the energy of Liverpool’s press; they looked increasingly knackered, and Kirby would exit for the 19-year-old Maika Hamano as they looked to get themselves back into the game.
No matter how exhausted Chelsea are, though, they have fight, and a mistake from Micah would help them level, coming out to try and block substitute Reiten’s cross and failing, with Beever-Jones on hand to ferociously lash in.
One minute later and Liverpool were back in front, Kiernan rolling the ball past Hampton within 10 minutes of coming off the bench after a stunning pass from Holland from just inside the Chelsea half.
Chelsea were back level almost immediately, Catarina Macario sweeping in Cuthbert’s cut-back, which was blocked but came back off Micah and in.
In added time Bonner had her goal, glancing the ball past Hampton to give the home team all three points and deal a hefty blow to Chelsea’s title hopes.