Lauren James leads the way for Chelsea Women: 3 takeaways from league win over Spurs

It was a historic Sunday for the Tottenham men, but for Rehanne Skinner and the Spurs’ women, it was the same old story against one of their London rivals. Skinner and Tottenham are no doubt thrilled to not have the Blues listed on their schedule until the 2023/24 campaign. Behind Lauren James’ dynamism, and Guro Reiten’s late goal, the Blues were able to hang on by the same margin of victory they took down Liverpool in the FA Cup last weekend. Chelsea Women got off to a quick start, going ahead via Jess Carter’s header in just the 8’ of the match.

Two Blues’ legends combined to bring Tottenham level just a few minutes later, but James’ show-stopping run propelled Chelsea Women back into the lead before the half. It was not the cleanest contest from the Blues, especially on the defensive side of things. It is now the fourth straight game where Chelsea Women has conceded at least one goal and the second consecutive that the opposition has found the back of the net more than once.

With Manchester United dropping points following a gutting draw to Everton, CFC now moves back into sole position at the top of the table on 31 points, two more than Marc Skinner’s side right behind them. The Blues’ next opposition, West Ham United helped them out even more, taking their first WSL point off of Arsenal in their history.

Two draws from the two other threats in the title fight was a gift Emma Hayes was not anticipating but will be thankful for at the end of the season. The next WSL fixture for Chelsea is not until after the February international window at the beginning of March with two cup ties on the mind of the Blues before the focus is back on what is looking to be as tight of a title race as it gets. It was not perfect, and in the WSL these days, it usually never is. Here are the takeaways from a triumph that brings the Blues’ unbeaten league-winning streak to 13 games:

3 takeaways from Chelsea Women’s win over Tottenham Women

Lauren James doing Lauren James things

This match was all about one player, Lauren James. Some say she is Reece James’ sister, but it is about time we remove that tag in order to give her the true respect she deserves. The Chelsea men’s right wing back spoke about how he thinks his sister is technically better than a lot of the Premier League players today, and Sunday afternoon at Brisbane Road was the perfect example of why. The former Manchester United winger makes the game look effortless, almost boring at times with how relaxed she looks with the ball at her feet.

In the 27′ right after Bethany England equalized on the other end, James received a pass from Sophie Ingle, and drove straight into the teeth of the Spurs’ defense. She made light work of Kerys Harrop on the wing, and knifed by several white shirts before finding a hole at the top of the box where she finished off what has to be considered one of the Blues’ goals of the season with her left foot.

Pure brilliance from James:

Tottenham’s defensive problems continued, giving James far too much space, almost looking tentative to pressure her at the top of the box. James’ magical foot skills were on display once again as Chelsea Women pulled back the momentum that Spurs had gained from capitalizing on a Blues’ mistake in the backline. Her celebration with Sam Kerr following the move and the finish told the entire story. That was truly something special.

James finished the match with four dribbles completed, the most of anyone on the pitch, and nine duels win which was also a game-high. There is honestly nothing James cannot do with the ball at her feet. Nothing comes as a surprise anymore when it comes to James as she continues to cement herself as one of the most talented wingers in all of the women’s football.

Emma Hayes must figure out how to limit lulls during a game

For some reason, CFC now loves 3-2 scorelines. Against clubs that are far inferior in quality, Emma Hayes’ side has continued to let the opposition breathe some hope toward the end of the game. For a team with Millie Bright, and Kadeisha Buchanan in the middle of the defense, there should be no excuses for moments in time where the Blues choose to put their foot off the gas.

Against teams like Spurs, Chelsea is able to take a step back towards the end of the match, but when it comes Champions League time, Chelsea Women has no time to relax with European opposition possessing the ability to punish anybody. It was just poor defending from a side that shut out a talented Paris-Saint Germain attack to conclude the 2022 calendar year.

From failing a poor touch by Buchanan in the first half that resulted in a goal to some questionable defending around the 18-yard box to finish out the match, there were many moments that left Hayes scratching her head. Last season, CFC only let in two goals in the final five minutes of a match in all competitions against Manchester City and Aston Villa, but so far during this campaign, the Blues have let in four.

After Reiten’s goal to extend the Blues’ lead to two, Tottenham had no way back, but it is still not acceptable to let your guard down. For Hayes, this display at Brisbane Road was anything but perfection, and given the way she seeks excellence, this team will be locked in for all 90 minutes in a win or go home contest against the Irons in the Conti Cup.

Erin Cuthbert’s distribution prevents slow start

Right out of the gate, Erin Cuthbert was on a mission to make sure the Blues’ put the pressure on this struggling Tottenham backline. After an unsuccessful effort into the box two minutes before, the Scottish international finally got her reward. Jess Carter’s header counted as Cuthbert’s second assist in the WSL this season, and second in the last three league matches. She nearly found Reiten to open the scoring, and Sam Kerr on the back post in the 11′ to give CFC its second goal in three minutes of play.

Last time out at Brisbane Road, Chelsea Women began incredibly sluggish, but the energetic defensive midfielder made it her mission to cause Spurs as many issues as possible within the first 10 minutes. It was the first time since November that Cuthbert did not play 90 minutes of league match, but it has become quite clear that it does not take much time for the Scottish midfielder to make her mark on the game.

Her precision on set-pieces, and in the run of play was out in full force, reminding everyone she is not just a hard-nosed tackler, but someone that has plenty of flair in her game as well. Whatever it is about Spurs, Cuthbert shows up.

From her assist to Carter to a stunning volley at the Bridge, the Scottish international simply continues her dominance of Spurs this season. Somehow Cuthbert is still underappreciated for what she is able to do. She led her team in tackles in the reverse WSL fixture between these two sides, and has been the definition of consistency since the season began. Possibly even the reason why this team has just one loss in all competitions so far throughout this campaign.