A resilient and hearty display from Amandine Miquel’s Leicester City denied Chelsea the chance to become the first team to win each of their opening 10 WSL games.
David and Goliath analogies are perhaps a little overused, but in the context of Miquel’s injury-hit Leicester hosting Sonia Bompastor’s all-conquering Chelsea, the use of the phrase was more than apt.
Such was the shock when David took first blood, through the early substitute Missy Goodwin, that Leicester fans didn’t quite know what to do with themselves, before affording their players a standing ovation at the end of the first half. Wieke Kaptein provided the response to put Chelsea six points clear of Manchester City, before City play Everton on Sunday.
The home team had just one win and two draws before the game at a chilly but sunny King Power Stadium. In 14 games across all competitions, Chelsea had 47 goals, and boasted a staggering eight different scorers across their two most recent fixtures, against Brighton and Twente. Leicester had two league goals in total, a crippling injury list of forwards contributing to their bluntness in attack.
The midfielder Saori Takarada was called upon to lead the line for the east Midlands side, with the scorer of their first goal of the season, Jutta Rantala, a long-term absentee with a knee injury; Lena Petermann still out having picked up a knee injury in preseason; Noémie Mouchon out with a knock; and the 19-year-old winger Shana Chossenotte and the left-back CJ Bott not fit for the match-day squad.
The strain on the front line was added to within seven minutes, when a heavy challenge from Lucy Bronze forced Deanne Rose off, with her replacement, Goodwin, entering the fray after Leicester had played for four minutes down to 10.
Despite expectations, it was far from the walk in the park for the champions, who looked a little disjointed from the outset. They dominated, soaking up more than two-thirds of possession, amassing 28 shots to Leicester’s two and managing 81 touches in the box to Leicester’s nine, but it was the home team that took the lead and did so in style.
It was a beautifully worked goal, from back to front. Hannah Cain’s neat pass to Asmita Ale caught out both Bronze and Nathalie Björn and the forward’s cross was met at the far post by Goodwin, who took a touch before firing into the far corner.
It was the first time Bompastor’s side had conceded first in the league and the first time they had been behind in a game at any stage, the substitute’s strike providing a new test for the league leaders.
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The manager was animated on the edge of her technical area, her assistant, Camille Abily, doubly so in the stand high above the dugout, but as hard as Chelsea pushed Leicester stood firm.
The tension among the visiting fans was palpable as the clock ticked on, but the Chelsea players know what it takes to stay on top and their superiority off the bench injected fresh energy into their attacking play. The resilience of the home team was broken in the 77th minute, Kaptein brushing off pressure from Ruby Mace to skate to the edge of the box and lash in.
Chelsea’s first falter will steal the headlines but it is the promise of Leicester, who were organised and well-structured, that should. Miquel will hope to welcome back some of her injured players in the new year and has the chance to strengthen in the January transfer window, so suddenly things look a lot brighter for them.
