Welcome back Pernille Harder: Chelsea top Everton on the road

Even without Fran Kirby in the team against Everton, the creativity of the attacking three along with Guro Reiten in the form she is in on the left flank makes the task for the opposition’s backline nearly insurmountable. Lauren James adds a completely new dimension of dynamism that this Blues’ attack had not had last season, and in games where CFC can’t seem to find the breakthrough, James is going to be one of those keys to unlock the backline in order to snatch a result when the Blues need it the most.

Harder quite possibly could have had a hat-trick in the first half with all of the balls played into her, and if this was not her first game of the season, it could have been a goal-scoring display for the ages. Behind the tremendous away supporters, the Blues jumped into third in the WSL table, behind Arsenal and Manchester United on goal difference.

Set-pieces continue to be the demise of Chelsea, being their own enemies, and preventing the team from earning just its second clean sheet of the campaign. That makes it six straight goals dating back to the International Champions Cup against Lyon that the Blues have conceded from a dead ball situation.