3 Takeaways from Chelsea Women’s victory over Brighton

Hayes’ team proves once again its ability to respond.

Just how Hayes’ side overcame the opening match week loss to Liverpool, CFC showed a whole lot of character just days after a cup final. The boss’s words after the match on Sunday without a doubt stuck with the team throughout the entire match. The display in south London on Sunday was extremely complacent, and just days later they reminded the world just how relentless they can be going forward.

The Seagulls struggled significantly to clear the ball away from danger in the first 30 minutes, conceding an astounding number of corners which the Blues eventually capitalized on. The culture that Hayes has created is one in which losses are quickly rectified. Given all of the pressure, CFC could have very well finished with four or five goals on the night.

Hayes speaks about how proud she is of her players in the first contest since the Conti Cup loss:

The midfield which included an energetic Jessie Fleming, Melanie Leupolz, and the forward-thinking Cankovic controlled the game. It was almost as if the midfield was invisible over the weekend with the Blues struggling to create any sort of passing pattern against a determined Arsenal side. From under 70 percent pass accuracy to over 85 percent a few days later, CFC got back to breaking down the opposition through its precise passing. It was like night and day from Sunday to Wednesday, and while it was an inferior opponent, the Blues gained that much-needed momentum ahead of a critical league fixture on Sunday.