Chelsea Football Club

The Blues battled to a 1-1 stalemate away at Manchester United in our last outing in the Women’s Super League, and were held by the same scoreline at the hands of Twente in the UEFA Women’s Champions League in midweek.

While Chelsea struggled to break down Tottenham’s defence at Kingsmeadow on Sunday for long periods of the game, a strike from range by Keira Walsh in the 61st minute was enough to see us take all three points.

‘It was really important,’ said Bompastor afterwards. ‘It’s crucial for what we want to achieve. I’m pleased with the result today, for sure, but also the performance we put in on the pitch.

‘It’s never easy to bounce back when you drop points in two different competitions. The players showed character on the pitch, and the performance was exactly what we had to do.

‘We created a lot, we were dominant and I’m pleased with that because reflecting on the Spurs dynamic coming into the game, they looked really strong. Today, we were able to control the game.

‘I said at half-time for us to continue what we were doing because I was confident enough that we would at least score one, and we did.’

Chelsea took 27 shots on goal during the match and saw 11 of those blocked by a resolute Tottenham side who had won four of their five opening matches in the WSL this season.

Bompastor was content to see her players attempting shots from distance and, ultimately, Walsh’s strike from 18 yards out was the difference between the two teams on the day.

‘I always tell my players to be brave on the pitch,’ Bompastor continued. ‘They have the quality to take risks. Even if they try and sometimes they are not successful, they always have their team-mates to back them up.

‘Having many different options is crucial when you face teams like Spurs, who are really resilient and defend the box really well. They were really compact and really aggressive inside the box today, so Keira’s long-range shot was the right thing to do.’

Walsh hasn’t previously held a reputation for scoring goals from her position as a holding midfielder. Bompastor explained why she’s been encouraging the 28-year-old to take more shots, leaning into her ability to strike the ball with power and accuracy.

‘Keira has this strength in her game,’ said the head coach. ‘Technically she’s really good and she has a lot of power when she shoots from distance. For me, she has this feeling of knowing where she needs to be around the edge of the box.

‘She showed that this summer in the Euros and with us in training sessions and in games she’s doing that as well. Her goal was really important for us today. She helped the team to perform and win the match, and in these tight games it’s crucial that players show their individual talents.’

After the midweek stalemate against FC Twente, Bompastor spoke about the need for clinical finishing. While Chelsea once again created plenty of chances in the first half against Spurs and had 45 touches in the opposition box, we managed only one shot on target before the break.

The second half continued in the same vein. More chances. More corners. In fact, the Blues won 15 corners in the first hour of the match.

With 30 minutes remaining, the frustration in the stands at Kingsmeadow was growing. We needed a moment of quality to breach the defence, and that's exactly what Keira Walsh provided with her powerful strike from the edge of the box. The celebrations were filled with relief.

The strike was so pivotal that the minutes which followed were almost without incident. That was until Lucy Bronze made her long-awaited return from injury to a huge cheer from the home supporters.

With the 1-0 win, we remain unbeaten in the Women's Super League during the Sonia Bompastor era and recorded our fifth victory of the season to stay top of the table.

Milestones passed

Skipper Millie Bright made her 300th appearance for the Blues and defensive partner Nathalie Bjorn also passed a major milestone, completing her half-century in a Blues shirt.

Bompastor switched up her side once more after the stalemate against Twente in midweek, bringing back Hannah Hampton in goal as well as a return for Bjorn, Walsh, Erin Cuthbert, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Wieke Kaptein and a fit-again Niamh Charles.

The Blues got off to a positive start when Charles played a ball down the line for Thompson, who burst into the box with an injection of pace, beat her marker Ashleigh Neville, and fired a shot on goal that went just over the bar.

Positive start

Enjoying plenty of possession in the opening 20 minutes, Chelsea won a total of seven corners, but the Tottenham defence held firm. Thompson looked lively in particular, with the American forward having fashioned three chances in the opening period of the match.

With Chelsea enjoying the vast majority of the possession, we then forged a clear-cut opportunity to score when Thompson played an instinctive reverse pass into the box for Aggie Beever-Jones, but Spurs keeper Lize Kop smothered the chance before the striker could really pull the trigger.

Tottenham – who had won four of their previous five Women's Super League games – had defended in numbers, but we could've headed in at the break having nicked the lead. Rytting Kaneryd's work down the right saw her play a dangerous ball into the box, but Kaptein couldn't connect with the goal at her mercy.

Chances aplenty

As the second half got under way, Bjorn fired a shot over the bar from a corner, and some more good work from Thompson saw her make a run from the wing into a central area where she could take a shot. Kop scrambled to the corner of her goal and just about got down to gather the attempt.

The pressure on the Spurs goal was increasing. Rytting Kaneryd powered into the box, pulled a pass back for Kaptein, who found Beever-Jones, but some last-ditch defending from the visitors quashed the danger once more.

On the hour mark, some space opened up for Carpenter on the edge of the box. The Australian went for the shot and Kop just about did enough to stop the attempt from dipping under the bar.

Deadlock broken

It was beginning to feel like the goal would never come. That was, until Carpenter teed up Walsh on the edge of the box. The England international turned her body slightly and quickly fired a low shot hard into the bottom corner.

After the visitors had given everything to keep the scores goalless, Walsh's strike seemed to take the wind out of their sails. While they kept Chelsea from adding to the score, they didn't threaten to equalise, as the sting was taken out of the contest in the final 15 minutes.

Aside from a hard-fought three points for the Blues, there was another positive moment for the home supporters when Bronze made her first appearance of the season, replacing Carpenter in stoppage time.

What it means

Chelsea remain two points clear of Manchester United at the top of the WSL table.

What comes next

We return to European action at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening, with a fixture against Paris FC.

The teams

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Hampton; Carpenter (Bronze 92), Bjorn, Bright (c), Charles (Buurman 56); Walsh, Cuthbert; Thompson (Reiten 78), Kaptein (Macario 56), Rytting Kaneryd; Beever-Jones (Kerr 78)

Unused subs: Peng, Nusken, Hamano, Jean-Francois

Scorer: Walsh 61

Booked: Carpenter 15, Bright 71

After a 1-1 draw with Twente in midweek, the boss has once again made alterations to her starting line-up. Hannah Hampton returns in goal for this Women's Super League fixture, while defender Nathalie Bjorn makes her 50th appearance for Chelsea.

Captain Millie Bright also passes a huge milestone, making her 300th appearance for the Blues as she lines up alongside Bjorn in defence.

Quartet Keira Walsh, Erin Cuthbert, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Wieke Kaptein come back into the starting XI to face Spurs.

Niamh Charles makes her return from injury and goes straight into the side, while Lucy Bronze is also named on the bench for the first time this season following her post-European Championship lay-off.

Chelsea: Hampton, Carpenter, Bjorn, Bright (c), Charles, Walsh, Cuthbert, Thompson, Kaptein, Rytting Kaneryd, Beever-Jones

Bronze has been unavailable since winning the European Championship with England in the summer, while Charles was withdrawn at half-time against Aston Villa in the second match of the season with an ankle problem.

After a period of rehabilitation, both are now ready to return to the pitch, and Bompastor agreed that Bronze is typically fired up for her return.

‘Lucy and Niamh are fit again and available for Sunday,’ Bompastor confirmed, before adding: ‘I think a caged tiger is a really good description of Lucy!', after the term was used by a journalist.

‘She brings a lot of energy to the team. I’ve never had someone in my squad with her mentality. She's really tough, and I think it's good to have these leaders back in the group, and I’m really happy for them both to be ready to play some minutes again.’

There was more positive news over the fitness of midfielder Sjoeke Nusken, who started against FC Twente in midweek but was withdrawn after 55 minutes, when she suffered a blow to the face in a duel with an opposition player.

After undergoing observation, the Germany international has been passed fit to play against Tottenham on Sunday.

‘Yes, Sio will be available,’ confirmed Bompastor. ‘She's alright. She's practising as normal today, and she will be available for selection.’

Meanwhile, Lauren James and Naomi Girma have also been working their way back to fitness, and while Bompastor thinks Chelsea fans could see the pair return soon, they are not quite ready.

‘They still need a few weeks before they will be available,’ said the head coach. ‘I think we could see them after the international break.’

Sunday’s opponents have never beaten Chelsea in the Women’s Super League. Yet under the guidance of new boss Martin Ho, Tottenham have won four out of their first five matches this season and sit just one point behind us in the table.

Bompastor is aware of the challenge our next opponents will pose, and noticed last year they had already begun to improve.

‘I’m not really surprised they are doing well,’ she said. ‘Because I think even last season, Tottenham always had a good team in possession of the ball. Probably last season, they didn't get the results they wanted to get. I know they are in good form, have a good dynamic, and have earned good results.

The Blues are currently top of the WSL table, having won our opening four matches and registered a draw away at Manchester United earlier this month.

Here is how you can follow the match action on Sunday lunchtime...

When and where

We will take on Tottenham Hotspur at Kingsmeadow on Sunday 12 October, with kick-off scheduled for 12noon.

How to watch

The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event in the UK.

As always, you can follow minute-by-minute updates in our Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur Match Centre on the Official Chelsea App and our website.

You can also follow through Chelsea Women’s social media channels on X, Facebook and Instagram.

The form

The Blues are now unbeaten in our last 30 WSL matches, having won 26 of those clashes and drawn four. We have also lost just one of our last 50 home games in the league, with a record of 47 wins, two draws and one loss against Manchester City back in February 2024.

Meanwhile, Spurs have enjoyed a bright start to the season under new boss Martin Ho, and sit just one point behind Chelsea in third place in the table. His side have picked up wins over West Ham United, Everton, Leicester City and Brighton & Hove Albion, and have lost just once, a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester City.

Recent head-to-head

Chelsea have won each of our 11 previous WSL meetings with Tottenham by an aggregate score of 27-7. This is the joint-most times two teams have met in the competition with one of those sides winning every time, alongside our record of 11 wins from 11 against Aston Villa.