At times like these, football understandably takes a backseat, but for Chelsea supporters, the 3-1 victory over Everton at a sold-out Walton Hall Park was the sort of timely tonic only football seems capable of producing.
Manager Emma Hayes’ booming voice was painfully absent from the Merseyside air, but it was the Chelsea fans whose exultant cheers filled the air as substitute Niamh Charles put the finishing touches on a deserved victory following Pernille Harder's brace.
Hayes admitted she would be keeping an eye on her Blues from her television after revealing she underwent an emergency hysterectomy earlier this week, and it was difficult to ignore the feeling that her players were hellbent on delivering a performance in which their absent manager and the larger fanbase could take unfettered pride.
Hayes’ absence threatened to mark the most difficult challenge this Chelsea side has faced yet in her decade-long reign. A third consecutive WSL title last season cut Chelsea an invincible figure, with Hayes’ clever craftsmanship and constant tinkering integral to the success.
While Everton put the reigning champions to a heady test, with the Toffees dictating much of the opening half-hour, Chelsea’s calibre ultimately showed. Whether Hayes’ absence might hurt Chelsea’s chances at title number four is a question that, at least for now, can be filed under a non-question.
Hayes was never too far away, with a direct line of communication into the ear of general manager Denise Reddy set up during the match. Harder made her first start of the season, while Fran Kirby was absent from the matchday squad due to illness.
This was an alarmingly open, consistently full-throttle affair from start to finish, with the home side immediately establishing the tempo as they pressed Chelsea’s backline from the off.
Everton right wing-back Lucy Graham saw two early chances fizz wide, while Hanna Bennison, Jess Park and Elise Isolde Stevenik did well to win back possession and pile on the pressure.
An animated Bennison particularly gave the Chelsea backline a torrid time, and her match-up against Kadeisha Buchanan in the middle of Chelsea’s back three quickly became an interesting subplot.
Everton continued to ratchet up the tempo, and it was Sorensen's side who enjoyed the pleasures of possession in the first half hour, though a lack of flourish in the final third saw their graft eventually rued.
Everton’s best chance of the half arrived as Lucy Graham released Park with a lovely through ball into the box. Park took Buchanan on one-on-one but Buchanan’s well-timed tackle staunched the danger.
Chelsea created chances of their own on the counter, with Sam Kerr, Harder and Guro Reiten combining sweetly, but a lack of clinical edge left Chelsea continuing to chase, with Kerr, Harder, Reiten and Lauren James all misfiring.
Chelsea’s best chances arrived from Guro Reiten crossing in from the left side and it was here that their quality finally told. Everton received an early warning when Reiten’s cross was palmed away by Brosnan shortly after the half-hour mark. James latched on and after taking a touch to steady herself, cannoning the crossbar.
Minutes later, it was another Reiten cross from the left that found a poorly-marked Harder at the back post. The Dane made no mistake with her downward header.
Chelsea began to bend the momentum in their direction, with Harder again firing over the crossbar after another cross in from the left, this time from Kerr. Chelsea could have been 3-0 up at the break but a lack of ruthlessness in front of goal gave Everton a lifeline heading into the break.
Everton flew out of the traps at the start of the half and deservedly seized an equaliser after a goal-mouth scramble from a corner that saw the ball bobble in off Buchanan.
Everton’s glee was short-lived, however, as Chelsea won a penalty after some slick passing that saw Reiten slip through on goal with Brosnan adjudged to have brought her down, despite protests from the Everton players. Harder coolly slotted home to add a second goal to her first start of the season and put Chelsea ahead before being subbed off on the hour.
Both sides continued to carve out chances for themselves, but it was Chelsea who moved into the ascendancy, with substitute Johanna Rytting Kaneryd proving a handful for Everton’s defence as she saw one effort saved and another rattle the crossbar. Lauren James' late effort was also dragged wide.
Everton continued to blister forward, but Jess Park’s ambitious effort from the outside box sailed benignly over the crossbar.
The Everton fanbase was buoyed by additional seven minutes in hopes of clawing back a late leveller, but it was Chelsea who looked closest to scoring, with Kaneryd and Bethany England mercilessly charging at Everton's defence.
Substitute Niamh Charles' delicate finish in the dying minutes of injury time ended any lingering Everton hope.
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