A Veerle Buurman own goal punished a profligate Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, securing a point for Aston Villa in a frustrating start to their WSL title push.
How Villa came away with a point having conceded 64% possession and having amassed just seven shots to Chelsea’s 32 and five touches in the opposition box to the home team’s 57 is somewhat inexplicable.
Chelsea were creative and Lauren James was at her free-flowing best, but they just could not convert their many chances, and the new Aston Villa goalkeeper Akane Okuma’s monumental performance was a big part of that.
Chelsea’s summer has been one of change after a somewhat transitional season, as players moved towards a sort of natural end to their time at the club. Heading into her third season in London, Sonia Bompastor’s stamp is firmly on her Chelsea team after a cautious approach to wholesale changes to the successful squad left by Emma Hayes.
However, they have a problem up front, with Melvine Malard, who scored two off the bench in their home leg against Real Sociedad, out with an injury, Mayra Ramírez yet to make her return from a long injury lay-off, and Aggie Beever-Jones failing to make the most of the opportunity to lead the line in their absence.
If there was some rust in Chelsea’s 6-2 defeat of Real Sociedad across two legs it looked to have been firmly shaken off by that competitive appetiser to their new season.
Ushering a new era in front of 7,900 fans at Stamford Bridge, where they will play all their WSL home games for the first time, the Blues were rampant from the off.
The aggressive and relentless pressing of Bompastor’s side in the opening half-hour caused all sorts of problems for Natalia Arroyo’s team, forcing error after error.
It was no surprise that that physical effort yielded results. In the 11th minute that pressure caused confusion between Okuma and the target of her pass out from the back and Ellie Carpenter pounced on the loose ball and worked it to James who glided into the box, shifting her weight as she went, before lashing the ball emphatically into the roof of the net.
It was a statement goal from a statement player. James played with the guile, freedom, energy and joy that full fitness brings after a series of niggling issues in recent years that at times left her looking frustrated that her body couldn’t match her ability.
An away trip to Chelsea was always going to be tough for Villa, who started five of their eight signings, and they only began to look a little more comfortable and structured as the home team’s pressure eased off a little towards the end of the first half.
The narrowness of the scoreline at the break perhaps flattered the visiting team, who could have been down by more had Chelsea been more clinical in the final third.
The profligacy in front of goal was frustrating for Bompastor’s team. Villa were clinging on for swathes of the second half, Okuma, signed from Japanese side INAC Kobe Lionesses, was key to keeping the margin to one goal, producing some fine saves, including pushing away Carpenter’s shot shortly after the hour mark.
The celebrations of Chelsea fans when Beever-Jones finally looked to have scored a goal and extended their lead were jubilatory and edged with a touch of relief but they were short lived, with the flag raised for offside when she headed home.
At no stage had it felt like the visiting team would take something from the game, but they were patient. Ultimately though Chelsea were the masters of their own downfall by not having put the game to bed and in the 80th minute the ground fell silent when they failed to clear Lynn Wilms’ cross, Noelle Maritz swiped it goalwards from eight yards out and Hannah Hampton’s block sent the ball bouncing off Buurman and over the line.
The home side pushed hard for the winner but Okuma was equal to every attempt, her stunning late block from another James effort a highlight. On the final whistle the Japanese goalkeeper was enveloped in the hugs of her teammates as the players in blue digested how they had ended up with a point after such a dominant performance.
