Were there going to be any problems with the Blues attack without Pernille Harder? How is CFC going to respond to the absence of Hayes on the sideline for many weeks? The Blues squashed these questions, and with a group of individuals on the pitch, and on the coaching staff with that same goal in mind, there was no transitional period. 16 different players so far have been involved in a goal one way or another, and those that weren’t like Kadeisha Buchanan impacted the game in a different way.
The defense was an issue for the beginning parts of the season, shown in the fact that the Blues sit tied with Everton in second in the English top-flight for most clean sheets. Eight goals allowed in the domestic league may sound like a lot, especially when you look at the fact that CFC allowed just 11 through 22 contests last season, but the Blues have accumulated eight clean sheets in their last 12 matches in all competitions. Allowing just one goal in four games against PSG and Real Madrid should tell the entire story of how much confidence this backline has at the moment.
Sam Kerr, who looked as out of form as a striker of her quality could have scored one of the Blues’ best individual goals of the season so far in the final contest before the break. Critics will continue to come down on CFC until it proves itself against opponents like Barcelona, and Wolfsburg, but when it comes to the WSL, given the Gunners’ health issues, the Blues should find a much simpler path to success. In the midst of the 30th anniversary of the Chelsea Women officially joining forces with the men’s team, and the 10th season under Hayes, CFC is demonstrating truly how far this club has gone.