“Long live the revolutionAmong the faded neighbours behind Chelsea's goal during the first half, a new banner read “!” with a picture of Sonia Bompastor looking up to the sky below. The Chelsea manager's reign began with a 1-0 win against Aston Villa, also with a new manager and chasing a top-six finish. A first-half goal from Johanna Litting-Kanellid put both teams ahead, but Villa came close to equalising in added time when goalkeeper Sabrina D'Angelo pounced on a free kick and headed it against the bar.
Bompastor spoke many times during pre-season about wanting Chelsea to be a “dominant team,” and that paid off in the summer, but will that translate into competitive fixtures? Will the switch from Emma Hayes after 12 years in charge to a French coach who has won the Champions League (both as player and manager) affect the team's fluidity and dominance?
If the opening match of the Women's Super League season in front of a sellout crowd of 4,337 is seen as a test of Chelsea's disadvantage in their transitional period, then the other 11 teams in the top flight should also be concerned.
In addition to the two most notable names in the dugout, there were six new faces on the field. Robert DePauw gave debut opportunities to four Villains rookies, while Bompastor gave starting opportunities to two summer recruits. D'Angelo, Missy Bo Karns, Paula Thomas and Chasty Grant were all in the visiting team's starting 11, while Lucy Bronze and Sandy Baltimore made their debuts for the Blues.
Brazilian forward Gabi Nunes, who joined Villa on deadline day, will not make his debut as he has only recently joined up with the squad and is not yet included in the squad, while Bompastor reports that Lauren James did not take part in training earlier in the week due to “a minor injury sustained in our last friendly.”
After the opening match of the 2024-25 season kicked off, it was clear that Chelsea were looking to dominate the title race from the get-go, with the Blues coming alive in possession and the fresh energy injected by the addition of Bompastor emanating from the squad in training camp and pre-season on the pitch.
Guro Reiten had the chance to take the lead within three minutes after receiving a pass from Millie Bright, but her first-time shot went wide. The Norwegian forward was at the heart of Chelsea's attack, sending the ball to Sjoke Nusken at the post with a free kick, but her header across goal was just a little too high. She also came close to scoring twice herself in the first 45 minutes, but each time her shot went wide.
There was one truly scary moment for the home side when Grant's central ball was received by Kearns but there was little time left as she side-footed the ball high into the air from less than six yards.
The opening goal of the season came on 36 minutes, fitting of a stylish start for the home side, as Litting Kannellid made a run from the left wing to the edge of the penalty area, before cutting back and curling an unstoppable shot into the far corner.
Not wanting to join the champions' steam locomotive, De Pauw's team kept the ball well but Chelsea were better at getting it to the back line. But the Villains started the second half brightly. Before the game, the manager said that his former coach told him, “You can win everything in pre-season, but if you lose your first game in the league, your pre-season is a failure.” This may be a bit of an extreme view, considering that they were facing title holders and seven-time champions (eight if you include the Spring Series). The Villains' good pre-season was clear.
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In the visitors' dominance of the period, a scramble in the box after a corner kick forced Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton to dive for the ball and two minutes later Villa caused problems again when Rachel Daly's looping header tipped onto the bar.
Chelsea tightened their grip inside Villa's half, but the visitors were more defiant up front.
The home team came close to doubling their lead in the 75th minute, but D'Angelo saved a deflected shot from substitute Hamano Maika.
The visitors may feel they might have gained something when Hampton prevented D'Angelo's shot from hitting the bar in the dying seconds, while Chelsea will be rueing missed opportunities. In the end, a one-point deficit was reasonable and, while not a perfect reflection of Chelsea's superiority, it accurately reflects Villa's dynamism and tenacity under normal pressure. Their relative league ambitions remain intact.
