Takeaways from Chelsea Women’s walloping of West Ham United

A complete 90-minute shift for Chelsea was vital

Lulls in matches, and giving up uncharacteristic goals has been a theme for CFC as of late. Against the Irons with the chance to book a trip to a cup final, the Blues put it all together. There was no last five minute goal from the opposition. The group stood tall in the back, and remained dangerous going forward from start to finish. Four goals in the first half, and three in the second 45 minutes really show how balanced of a display it was from start to finish.

It was not just the amount of goals, it was the quality of them. Reiten’s precise pass to Kerr got things going, but the second goal was brilliant link-up play between James and Kirby that had to be the best of the seven on Thursday night. Given the way CFC was pressing the Irons’ defense, the Blues could have had six at the end of 45 minutes if it was not for Mackenzie Arnold’s interventions. Erin Cuthbert’s pressing led to Kerr’s sublime finish to collect the third goal of a historic night for the Blues.

Relentlessness is key, especially with the gap in the WSL getting smaller by the year. Given the way CFC performed as a whole at Chigwell Construction Stadium, it may not be the best ideal time for an international break. There was no 3-1 lead where the Blues could get comfortable with. There was also opportunity to give some extended time to Melanie Leupolz, and younger players like Alsu Abdullina. Everyone coming off the bench kept the same focused mentality as the player they came on for, preventing the Blues from conceding an unnecessary goal down the stretch.

Around this time of year, CFC begins to put all the pieces together. Hayes’ side knows that some of the most important games of the season are on tap next, and this looks to be just the beginning of potentially many complete performances going forward.