Chelsea Women: Top-five goals of the 2022/2023 campaign

3. Lauren James against Paris Saint-Germain

Competition: UEFA Women’s Champions League (Group Stage)

Date: December 22, 2022

In the final match of the 2022 calendar year, the Blues finished off Group A with a goal that described the identity of this team to a tee. The goal had “teamwork” written all over it. Five different players linked up for the third and final goal against Paris Saint-Germain with Lauren James being the one to ultimately slot it home. The game’s second goal deserves some recognition, but due to the amount of players involved, this one had to make the list.

It all started with Kerr on the left wing who dished the ball off to Magdalena Eriksson. The Swedish international found Reiten who then slotted a perfectly weighted pass into Fran Kirby behind the PSG defense. Instead of taking the shot on herself, which she very well could of, the English midfielder laid the ball off to James who was making a run just behind her. The Blues’ No. 10 fired it home with full confidence, sending the west Londoners’ into the knockout stages of the Champions League as a first place side.

It was a goal that you can watch on replay over and over again. The unselfishness, the precise passing in the part of the pitch where it meant the most, and the celebration created an unforgettable Champions League moment under the lights.

This goal simply had to be in the top-three. James’ finish sealed the third consecutive game across all competitions in which the Blues had found the back of the net three times against their opposition. The west London side was running riot against one of the best teams in Europe with this goal being the cherry on top of a bounce back group stage campaign.