Photo: Wing Chong for Constancy Sport
Chelsea XI: Hampton (GK), Bright ©, Buurman, Cuthbert, James, Reiten, Thompson, Girma, Kaptein, Rytting Kaneryd, Kerr
Substitutes: Bronze (46’), Nüsken (46’), Carpenter (60’), Potter (60’), Sarwie (71’)
Crystal Palace XI: Yanez (GK), Napier, Arthur, Cato, Everett ©, Sharpe, Weerden, Nolan, Ladd, Blanchard, Larkin
Substitutes: Howat (62’), Hughes (78’), Riley (78’)
Chelsea FC looked to keep their hopes of a quadruple winning season alive this afternoon in another London Derby at home to Crystal Palace. For Palace, this was their final real chance at collecting silverware this season, with the team currently sitting fifth in the WSL 2, eight points behind current league leaders Charlton Athletic, despite their current game in hand.
The sides met three times last season, including in the quarter finals of this same competition where the blues won 1-0 at home once again. The Eagles were also victim to an 11-0 loss on aggregate in the league, but with relegation at the conclusion of last season, the teams performances against WSL sides has seemingly improved, so can the team claim their first win against Chelsesa and knock the current champions out of the cup?
Chelsea’s Lauren James took the kick off, with the Blues’ wealth of experience in the competition showing from the off.
The first shot on target of the game came from Crystal Palace’s Abbie Larkin, providing a cross from the left hand sude straight into the gloves of Hannah Hampton. Chelsea however, were quick on the counter attack, immediately proving threatening in the Eagle’s box.
The opening stages were relatively even in south London with Chelsea earning the first corner of the game after Alyssa Thompson’s shot slid wide of the goal.
By the tenth minute, Chelsea had found their rhythm with Naomi Girma ensuring Palace stayed out of the attacking third and out of trouble.
A foul from Molly-Mae Sharpe meant Chelsea had a free kick in dangerous territory and with Erin Cuthbert standing over the ball, her cross met the head of Millie Bright who knocked it straight into the back of the net, giving Chelsea the lead in just the 13th minute.
In the 17th minute Chelsea were on the attack again and with a miss timed attempt at the ball from Lauren James, the ball found the feet of Johanna Rytting Kaneryd who’s cross met the head of Sam Kerr in the box, her shot was however blocked by Palace’s Shae Yanez.
In the 22nd minute Chelosea found a second through the boots of Sam Kerr, the striker’s first goal in the competition since her goal in the final at Wembley Stadiumn in 2023, warranting her iconic backflip celebration.
Lauren James came close to finding the Blue’s third in the 26th minute however a dodgy touch meant that her attempt bounced directly into the keeper’s gloves.
With Chelsea on the attack once again, Guro Reiten was brought down in the box, earning a penalty in the 29th minute. Guro Reiten was the chosen penalty taker, who of course slotted it home with ease.
Despite being 3-0 down, Palace still proved their determination, with Ashley Weerden breaking through the Chelsea defence moments later.
Chelsea came close to a fourth in the 35th minute, with a cross finding the feet of Johannan Rytting Kaneryd whose shot crossed the front of goal, failing to be picked up by a Blue’s player.
Alyssa Thompson thought she found a fourth just moments later with the forward finding the net from the left, however was punished for her foul in the lead up, meaning the score remained 3-0.
Crystal Palace had the opportunity to shrink their deficit through a free kick infront of goal, however with the pass taken short, Chelsea saw straight through their plan, keepinng th ball well clear of goal.
With a minute of added time announced, the Blue’s had the final effort of the half, a Guro Reiten cross effortlessly finding Erin Cuthbert, whose shot was impressively saved by Shae Yanez meaning the half time scire was 3-0 Chelsea.
With a change of sides, the second half was underway with two changes from Chelsea, Lucy Bronze replacing Naomi Girma and Sjoeke Nusken replacing Lauren James, the two players likeloy being rested ahead of a busy couple of weeks.
The first corner of the second half came in the 50th minute, however Erin Cuthert’s kick failed to meet any Chelsea players.
Sam Kerr found both her second and Chelsea’s fourth goal of the game at the 50th minute mark with yet another header from the Australian international.
Moments later Hannah Hampton was called into action with Ashleigh Weerden finding herself against Wieke Kaptein and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, not a single blues defender in sight.
Chelsea consistently proved threatening throughout the second half with Alyssa Thompson finding Chelsea’s fifth from a rebound after Sjoeke Nusken forced a world class save from Shae Yanez.
Palace’s second set of substitutions saw Molly-Mae Sharpe and Abbie Larkin make way for Indiah-Paige Riley and Elise Hughes.
Ashleigh Weerden once again came close to making a breakthrough in the 80th minute however substitute Ellie Carpenter steered the ball clear of the Chelsea goal, prompting another Chelsea attack.
With yet another shot on target, Lucy Bronze’s shot from range in the 83rd minute forced Shae Yanez into another great save.
Hannah Hampton was forced into action in the dying stages when Ashleigh Weerden’s cross came close to the head of Elise Hughes inside the box.
The final substitution of the game saw Izzy Sibley replace Ashleigh Weerden with three minutes injury time on the clock.
This didn’t stop Alyssa Thompson however, the forward still searching for Chelsea’s sixth despite the Blue’s dominant display.
With the full time score being largely in Chelsea’s favour, the blues found themselves progressing to the fifth round once again and breaking their streak of seemingly underperforming in this competition against the side, but will they be able to keep up their strong form against Manchester City and Arsenal in the coming weeks?
Images via Wing Chong (@thoughtsofawing)
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