A fourth Chelsea goal in stoppage time wrapped up a tense affair at Kingsmeadow, as the champions saw off Brighton to maintain their perfect record under Sonia Bompastor.
Brighton gave Chelsea their toughest challenge yet on Sunday as they went toe to toe with the Blues in a thrilling 4-2 encounter.
It was a game crammed with chances from the outset, but Bompastor’s side, as has been the story of the season, emerged superior, and their five-point lead at the top remained intact.
Brighton’s hesitation at the back and defensive lapses in the first half ultimately cost them the game. Dario Vidosic’s team have been one of the most surprising competitors at the top so far this season, but there will be lessons to learn from today’s defeat.
Two goals in five minutes from Sjoeke Nusken and Aggie Beever-Jones gave Chelsea a strong lead 40 minutes in. But moments before the break, Jelena Čanković’s curled strike cut Brighton’s deficit in half.
After the restart, it took just six minutes for Johanna Rytting Kaneryd to restore the champions’ two goal lead. The Swede made it 3-1 from close range, capitalising off a richoceted shot from Lucy Bronze.
But Brighton were defiant and mustered up another response. Kiko Seike pulled another goal back for the visitors in the 71st minute, setting up a tense final 20 minutes.
In the end however, it was mere consolation as stoppage time bore witness to a fourth and final goal for Chelsea through Nusken. Securing her Sunday-afternoon brace, Nusken headed in a Catarina Macario header, and wrapped up yet another three points for Chelsea.
“The two teams made some big mistakes today, especially on the build-up and trying to build from the backline and the ‘keeper,” said Bompastor in her post-match press conference.
“That’s something that’s going to happen when you have two coaches who have a philosophy that they want to build up. I prefer my team and my players to be confident enough and brave enough to try again, even if sometimes you can be in that position when you lose some balls.
“Sometimes it’s about making a better decision, executing more quickly, scanning better, control – so, a lot of small details that are really important at the high level.
“The best teams are the ones who make the least mistakes. You will always have mistakes in the game, and I want my players to be brave enough to try again.”
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