Chelsea Women: 3 takeaways from deflating 2-0 defeat at Manchester City

Behind to two quality first half strikes, Gareth Taylor and Manchester City shook up the Women’s Super League title race, leaving Chelsea Women asking questions once again.

It was Emma Hayes’ side fourth game within a 14-day period. As the season begins to head into the final stretch, the brutal month of March seemed to have finally done damage to the west London side.

Taylor’s Man City had a full week of recovery following its defeat to Aston Villa in the FA Cup quarterfinals while Chelsea Women had just four days between matches. Some say it is an excuse, but at the end of the day, you cannot understate the impact that it had on the match. Three of the last four matches have been away from home. That alone is a difficult task not taking into account the turnaround time between each of them.

Right from the get-go, Taylor’s side jumped on Hayes’ team. Despite two questionable changes following two goals by the home side, the Blues were never able to create consistent chances to challenge Ellie Roebuck between the sticks.

Millie Bright’s absence without a doubt had its affect, especially with Aniek Nouwen out on loan in Italy for the rest of the season. Hayes made just two changes from the mid-week clash in southeast France. Within the first 14 minutes, Chelsea Women forced Roebuck to make two saves, but from then on in the first half, the high-press of City overwhelmed the away side.

Just like the defeat in the Conti Cup final, there is no time to sulk in the loss with critical matches in the league, FA Cup, and Champions League coming up.

Lauren Hemp, and the surprise goal scorer Filippa Angeldahl put CFC far too deep in a hole just 45 minutes in that a potential comeback seemed out of the cards. A victory at the Academy Stadium would have put the west London outfit in complete control of the title race.

The loss puts the Hayes’ squad down to third in the table on 37 points, but being just one point behind with a game in hand still keeps the title in the hands of the three-time defending champions. Seven matches remain for Chelsea Women in the 2022/23 WSL campaign. If the club comes out on top in each of them, the WSL title will be staying in west London for the fourth consecutive year.

Being a top side in European football means having to deal with the lack of recovery time. Hayes and the rest of the club know that. Sometimes the weight of every match begins to accumulate, and as the month of March nears its end, this City match was a perfect example of that.

With Bright potentially coming back from her knee injury in time for Thursday’s battle with Lyon, the memory of everyone at the club has to be short. No matter how you cut it, it is three points dropped, but when it is all said and done, Hayes and the Blues still have the title in their own hands.

3 takeaways from just the second league loss for Chelsea Women this season.