The Chelsea Women and the Blues’ cruising back line

Emma Hayes and her Chelsea Women keep creeping closer and closer to the top of the table as the team works to make up for more matches that were lost due to COVID-19. The defense of the Blues continues to be the catalyst for the success in recent contests and in the future. A spectacular showing by the Blues against the Toffees on the road brought the club within two points of the league leader, Arsenal. Millie Bright, Jess Carter, Magdalena Eriksson and Dutch centerback Aniek Nouwen held Everton to zero shots on target for an entire 90 minutes.

Offense has sometimes been difficult to come by in the Women’s Super League and other competitions. Thus, the defense has been the anchor for Hayes’ team, shutting out opponents in 16 out of the 27 matches in all competitions this season. Bright has been the mainstay, starting every match in the league this season. She has helped the Blues have allow the fewest goals in the FAWSL thus far this season. Chelsea will now look to its back line to carry it to the title.

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Chelsea’s back line has been its anchor this season as Emma Hayes searches for her third consecutive FA Women’s Super League title

The Blues have only allowed their opponents to score three or more goals in just four matches this season. In contests like the one against Aston Villa last weekend and a 0-0 draw against Brighton in late January, the back line stepped up big time. The defense held the opposing teams to virtually no chances on target, while the attackers struggled to find the back of the net. There have been 10 instances this season where the Blues’ defense has allowed its opponents one shot or fewer on target. While some of the opponents in the Super League are not up to par, Chelsea did it in all competitions, proving how dominant Hayes’ defense is consistently.

Some outings are quite jaw-dropping when it comes to shots and shots on target for the offense. The Blues have not been very efficient when it comes to finding the target at times this season. Therefore, making a run at the title relies greatly on perfection going forward. A slip-up and the hopes of securing a trophy before the season comes to a close will shrink dramatically. A lot of pressure is on the back line led by Bright to continue its current form. In almost every match this season, Hayes put out a formation with four defenders, but against Everton in the last league match, the manager played what looked like a three-at-the-back.

The new 3-5-2 worked to a tee. In the first half, the offense was flowing on all cylinders. Everton changed shape at the half to make changes, but the back line for the Blues did not falter. The forward play struggled, but Hayes must ask herself if playing three in the back would work again for the remainder of the 2021/22 season. Carter continued to impress at the back and Eriksson looked solid for her first time back on the pitch since December. Adding to the back end of the formation is huge heading into one of the most pressure-filled runs of matches for Chelsea in recent seasons. Bright, Carter, Nouwen, Jonna Andersson and Niamh Charles make up one of the most lethal defenses in all of European football.

Perfection is difficult when it comes to the unpredictability of the sport, but there is one problem that Hayes knows she is not going to have to worry about—that is the defense stability. The offense may struggle to find the back of the net, but the power of a back line like Chelsea’s will keep it in any close match. The Blues have Tottenham (twice) and Manchester United in the league left to play. Kerr and Harder will have to continue to come up huge in big moments as Arsenal has proven to be a more clinical team in front of goal, but Bright and the back line will be the difference if Chelsea is going to sink or swim.

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