KINGSMEADOW, FEB 15 – Chelsea maintained their momentum in the Women’s Super League (WSL) title race with a 2-0 victory over Liverpool at a rainy Kingsmeadow on Sunday, as German midfielder Sjoeke Nüsken proved the difference-maker, scoring a decisive goal late in the first half.
The breakthrough arrived in the 40th minute when Chelsea forward Lauren James surged down the left flank, delivering a low cross that Nüsken met with authority and fired past Liverpool keeper Jennifer Falk.
After the match, Nüsken said: “I think it was a good performance from us straight from the beginning. We created a lot of chances, scored goals and got another clean sheet.”
Building on her earlier clinical assist for Nüsken’s opener, James doubled the lead in the 65th minute with a curling effort from the box area into the bottom left corner.
Chelsea’s dominance was reflected in the final numbers, finishing with 57% possession and testing Falk with 13 shots on target compared to Liverpool’s eight.
“They are probably in a different place since January, they’ve signed some pretty good players in different areas of the pitch,” head coach Sonia Bompastor said in a pre match interview. “I think they’ve been in really good form with great results.”
Liverpool were handed an opportunity in the 61st minute with a free kick in a dangerous area, but Ceri Holland’s delivery failed to trouble the Blue’s defense.
The pressure continued in the 77th minute as Sam Kerr found herself in the six-yard box following a cross from Australian teammate Ellie Carpenter, but the striker’s right-footed attempt missed the target to the right.
The game turned physical in the 79th minute when James was shown a yellow card for a heavy challenge as she tracked back to disrupt a Liverpool counter-attack.
“I’ve been trying to get my form back,” goalscorer James said in a reflection of her performance. “It was hard to break them down at the start and then thankfully we got our first goal and then it started to open up from there.”
The Blues remain third on the league table with 33 points while Liverpool rank eleventh with 10 points as the WSL title race continues. Chelsea look toward their next game against Manchester United at Kingsmeadow on Sunday 22 February for the fifth round of the Women’s FA Cup.
