Chelsea went back to the top of the WSL table with a 1-0 win over Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
City started the day two points ahead of their title rivals, but a moment of magic from Sandy Baltimore was enough to propel Chelsea above the reigning WSL champions.
Despite this top-of-the-table clash arriving 10 weeks into the season, it felt like everything was on the line in west London. Feisty, edgy and played at a frantic pace, both sides had chances that could have led to a completely different scoreline.
It was the away side that started the game brighter, and they should have taken the lead when Aoba Fujino missed the target from close range after Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw’s cutback.
It was a wake-up call for Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor, who saw the ease with which her side were carved open. She made the bold decision to substitute centre-back Kadeisha Buchanan in the 12th minute, much to the bafflement of her fellow defenders.
Looks were exchanged as the fourth official’s board raised Buchanan’s number, and the confusion continued as the Canadian walked off to be replaced by Veerle Buurman.
As strange as it seemed at the time, the tactical change paid off. Buurman ended the game as Player of the Match, and it was her introduction that meant City’s attacking opportunities were limited for the rest of the first half. Instead of scrambling to contain their opponents, Chelsea were celebrating before half-time as Baltimore blasted them into the lead in stoppage time.
The second half felt like basketball as City pushed to find an equaliser and Chelsea raided on the counter. But the game was all but decided when City goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita was sent off in the 75th minute for a reckless challenge on Alyssa Thompson outside the box.
City defender Jade Rose acknowledged after the game that the red card was the nail in the coffin to her side’s hopes of an equaliser, telling BBC Sport: “To have a player sent off, it was difficult to swing that momentum in our direction. The result reflects that.”
Reduced to 10, City still desperately tried to find a way back in, but Chelsea’s impressive defence, which has conceded just five goals all season, stood firm.
Analysis - Bompastor’s bravery pays off
Bompastor’s shocking call to take Buchanan off in just the 12th minute ultimately swung the game in Chelsea’s favour.
The centre-back was struggling to deal with Bunny Shaw and Aoba Fujino in the opening minutes, and Chelsea looked vulnerable whenever City attacked. They were let off early when Fujino missed the target from only a few yards out, a chance City will now rue.
City’s threat was nullified for the rest of the first half once Buurman came on. Though it was Baltimore’s strike that took all three points for Chelsea, Bompastor’s brave decision ensured her side came away with a clean sheet.
As if Bompastor needed more vindication, Buurman was also responsible for an incredible sliding challenge to prevent Shaw from equalising in the final 10 minutes. Once Yamashita was sent off in the 75th minute, City’s pressure fizzled out.
Buurman told BBC Sport post-match: “Of course they prepare you really well as a substitute. I didn’t expect to come on that early into the game. My team helps me. It was a little bit tough in the first minute but after that it was a really good performance.”
Controversial though that substitution was, Bompastor deserves praise for a move that ultimately won her side the game.
After Saturday’s result, Bompastor was protective of her player, and mentioned a “knock” to the head that Buchanan had suffered in training on Friday. She said that she noticed the defender “wasn’t herself” in the opening minutes of the game, adding, “I was almost forced to do that because I know my player, and I know she was not right in the game”.
When pressed on whether she had spoken to Buchanan following the decision to take her off, she said: “Not yet. I just told her a few words. I'll explain myself to her. I think my assistant coach Cami (Camille Abily) she’s probably done that already. But I think everything will be fine. I always have a good relationship with all my players. I always bring them clarity. I'm always direct and honest, they always have the information.”
The Chelsea manager isn’t afraid of making bold calls like this. She also decided to start Lauren James in Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Arsenal earlier this season, despite the England forward not being fully fit. Bompastor picked her regardless, and James ended up playing a central role in the victory. On that occasion, Bompastor said post-match: “I’m a genius today because we won.”
She’s not wrong.