James and Carpenter lead Chelsea surge as sorry Spurs hit for six in WSL again

Two goals each from a rampant Lauren James and battling Ellie Carpenter helped Chelsea cruise past Tottenham and keep the pressure on Manchester City at the top of the Women’s Super League table.

It was a thrilling show and a statement from the home team, a game laden with stunning goals after a frustrating first half that allowed Tottenham more of the ball than Chelsea would have been happy with.

James’s first was cancelled out by Matilda Vinberg’s first-half equaliser, before Carpenter restored Chelsea’s lead and James added her second. Sjoeke Nüsken and Maika Hamano powered in the fourth and fifth before Signe Gaupset pulled one back and Carpenter converted for the second time.

Following Tottenham’s 6-1 defeat to London City Lionesses Martin Ho said he was the “most frustrated” he has been during his time at the club. Spurs looked lightweight against the Bromley-based side, despite going into the game unbeaten.

At Stamford Bridge heads were up and it had looked like it would be a different story after a strong start by the visiting team. The concession of the opening goal in the 25th minute was a cruel reminder of their defensive issues. It was Toko Koga who was uncharacteristically caught out, the Japan defender turned her back on James, who dispossessed her and drove towards the near post before she fired in at the far post from the tightest of angles.

The bright play of Ho’s team did not evaporate, though, with Kadeisha Buchanan on hand to steer the ball out for a corner just ahead of Cathinka Tandberg. A deserved equaliser arrived just before the break when Vinberg converted Julie Blakstad’s pinpoint ball towards the far post with a bullet header.

If there was hope that Spurs would end their run of 20 WSL games against big four opposition without a win, securing four draws and suffering 16 defeats in that time, they were well and truly crushed in the second half.

It wasn’t so much a Spurs collapse as Chelsea putting their foot on the gas, channelling any anger and frustration felt at a less than dominant first-half performance into one laden with gut-busting intensity in the second half.

Just before the hour mark Sonia Bompastor’s side retook the lead, when Alyssa Thompson drove into the box from the left before sending an angled cutback for the arriving Carpenter to power in.

Four minutes later James extended their lead, collecting the ball from Lucy Bronze in the centre circle before she powered towards the box, wrongfooted Koga and curled her effort past Lize Kop. Chelsea’s fourth was as stylish as the rest; Keira Walsh flicked the ball to the substitute Nüsken and she blasted a rising strike six minutes after entering the game.

Hamano found herself in acres of space for the fifth, sending a curling effort into the top corner. Walsh was at fault for Spurs’ late second, waiting for the ball into her feet which Gaupset saw, pounced on and then fired a low effort in. Unwilling to let the game finish on a down note, Carpenter swapped the ball from her left foot to her right as she turned and fired in her second.

It was a chaotic finish to a thrillingly end-to-end match and Chelsea continue to assert their status as serious title contenders.