LIVERPOOL, 16 NOV — It was another draw for Chelsea in the Women’s Super League, their third in the last five games, against Liverpool at St. Helen’s Stadium on Sunday finishing 1-1.
Swedish international Beata Olsson scored the equaliser for Liverpool in the 33rd minute, outrunning centre-back Millie Bright to shoot directly in front of Chelsea’s WSL debut goalkeeper Olivia Peng, who stepped up to Hannah Hampton’s usual position today.
“We knew we were quick up front and they were slow with their centre-backs,” said Olsson to Sky Sports. “I’m really happy to have scored the goals [in the last three games]. But I think I’m just in the position to get served good balls and the whole team is behind me.”
The Blues’ and England’s star goalkeeper is out with a quad injury for the next few weeks, as announced by Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor on Saturday. In her absence, Chelsea conceded their fifth goal in the league from the fifth goal scored by Liverpool this season.
Chelsea had one shot on target throughout the entirety of the game, displaying their struggle to find a rhythm today up north.
Despite a strong push in the last 20 minutes of the game with a total of five substitutions, Bompastor’s side could not discover the change-up they needed to take down the Red’s defence.
Alyssa Thompson, Chelsea’s only goalscorer in the last two games, found an early groove in the ninth minute to open the scoring.
The American winger curled a textbook shot through the crowded box past Liverpool goalkeeper Faye Kirby, a repeat of her performance at Chelsea’s matchup against Arsenal last week where she found the back of the net at the exact same time.
Substitute Aggie Beever-Jones showed a glimmer of hope for the Blues in the second half when she had two close attempts including an offside goal. But neither her nor her teammates could find the elusive goal to get Chelsea the three points.
While Chelsea walk away with one point and a furthered streak of 34 games unbeaten in the WSL, they remain second on the league table, trailing three points behind Manchester City.
Their performance against now bottom of the table Liverpool should be a wake-up call for the Blues before they face three-time UWCL winners Barcelona at Stamford Bridge this Thursday.
