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Key events
“Damn it!”Email Sarah Rothwell.
Hayes assembled his Chelsea players in a huddle for a team talk, but it’s not a pep talk. Everyone looks completely dejected, exhausted. Perhaps being knocked out of the Champions League has taken its toll.
Same.
You hardly have time to catch your breath 😅
— Liverpool FC Women (@LiverpoolFCW) May 1, 2024
This is what it does for the WSL table. Chelsea are six points behind Manchester City and now have just one game in hand. The Blues now desperately need Arsenal to do them a favour. The Gunners travel to City this Sunday. Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Final: Liverpool 4-3 Chelsea
What kind of game! What a seismic result this is for the WSL title race! Liverpool beat Chelsea and you can’t say the Reds don’t deserve it!
90+8 min.: Hayes grimaces to the side, scratching his head in frustration. I think she knows the gig is up.
90+7 min.: What a save from Mika to deny Beaver-Jones a hat-trick! The ball fell beautifully to the Chelsea striker, who volleyed it into the top corner, but Liverpool’s Mika got his left arm up and somehow tipped the ball over the bar.
90+6 min.: Big chance for Chelsea! Charles crosses for Macario, who heads in at the back post. But the ball found neither the corner nor Hamano’s boot at the back post. The Japanese was coming in but couldn’t quite get there to equalise.
90+4 min.: Chelsea were desperate to find another equaliser, but Liverpool defended solidly, with Haug blocking in his own area from Cuthbert’s effort.
GOAL! Liverpool 4-3 Chelsea (Bonner 90+1)
Bonner scores straight from a corner in his 150th game for Liverpool! The defender scores against her former club and perhaps crushes Emma Hayes’ title dream. The Chelsea manager shakes his head from the touchline, it’s the third corner Chelsea have conceded tonight! They had conceded just three set points all season going into this match.
90+1 min.: Kiernan runs a Chelsea defense torn apart by her pace. She wins a corner and here comes the cavalry from behind!
90 minutes: Nine minutes added! Enough time for both sides to emerge victorious.
87 minutes: Both sides insist on a winner! Kiernan moves down Liverpool’s right. Three on three in the centre, Haug wins the first header but the ball doesn’t fall for Holland.
Chelsea move forward on the counter attack. Perisset crossed superbly and only a decisive impromptu clearance from Clarke kept the score at 3-3. Clarke was a rock in the back for Liverpool tonight.
85 minutes: Will Chelsea find that all-important winner and keep their title bid alive?
GOAL! Liverpool 3-3 Chelsea (Mika and 82)
O gracious lord! What game is this. Chelsea are back at it! Third goal in three minutes! Perisset opens up the Liverpool defence, Cuthbert pulls the ball back and Macario is in oceans of space near the penalty spot. The USWNT forward shoots but a flipper goes around the goal…hits Daniels, then Mika and rolls into the net for an own goal. The goalkeeper could do nothing!
GOAL! Liverpool 3-2 Chelsea (Kiernan 80)
Liverpool took the lead again, a minute between the two goals. Absolutely world-class build-up play from Holland, who rolls Cuthbert into midfield and finds Kiernan with a sensational through ball. The Irish international finishes past Hampton and the Reds lead once again!
GOAL! Liverpool 2-2 Chelsea (Beaver-Jones 79)
Chelsea are level! What a crucial goal that could turn out to be. Reiten, who has been full of guile and ingenuity since he came on, plays a wonderful reverse pass into Daniels. Charles gets to the byline, takes Micah out of her goal and the full-back finds Beaver-Jones who breaks Chelsea level!
77 minutes: Off the line by Daniels! Here comes Chelsea. Ingle sets up to shoot but plays a clever ball to Cuthbert who heads home. But Daniels is there. He may have just been drifting, but the Liverpool defender is taking no chances!
74 minutes: Really impressive that Liverpool are still dealing with high press. Chelsea would normally face a low block in this situation, but the Reds are showing real courage with and without the ball. Chelsea are struggling to build their attacks.
71 minutes: Liverpool made a double substitution and I’m surprised Beard brought Enderby on for Kiernan, although the Ireland international is no weaker. Matthews also replaces Hinds, the Liverpool captain.
69 minutes: Hamano almost finds an opportunity to shoot but the Japanese is pushed away before Liverpool’s Clarke makes another brilliant block from Cuthbert’s shot.
67 minutes: More Chelsea reserves as they fight to get back into this game. Natalie Bjorn is for Bright, who fights in the truth! Bjorn is faster than the Lioness so should be in a better position to clean up those Liverpool counter attacks.
Guro Reiten replaces Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Eve Perisset replaces Ashley Lawrence.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea (Cuthbert and 65)
Another Liverpool goal from a corner. Bonner wins the shot at the near post and Cuthbert can only steer the ball into his own net. Oh my word, Chelsea’s title bid is falling apart!
64 minutes: Suddenly this game comes alive! First Macario finds some space in the Liverpool area but Clarke makes a brilliant block. Liverpool clear and Enderby almost overpower Bright. Chelsea are playing a dangerous game there, leaving themselves exposed at the back. They do, but Enderby’s pace is a real weapon!
62 minutes: To highlight Haug’s aerial dominance this season, she has won 84 aerial duels in the WSL. The next best player is Leicester City’s Sophie Howard, who has just 46.
60 minutes: Chelsea just can’t get anything going at the moment and further stalling doesn’t help as Cuthbert hits the deck after
It’s a big half hour for Chelsea’s campaign. Potentially season-defining.
57 minutes: And that’s the end of Nusken’s night. Chelsea make a double substitution: Nusken and Kirby are out, Hamano and Ingle – the former Liverpool defender – are on.
55 minutes: “Nusken is becoming an enigma,” he emails Gordon again. “Brilliant in the league win against Arsenal and the Champions League draw with Ajax, but strangely anonymous since.” Yes, Nusken and Cuthbert were overtaken and outplayed by Nagano and Holland.
53 minutes: Chelsea had conceded just three goals all season from set pieces and you wouldn’t expect them to with Bright coming into the side. The visitors look like they will make changes right away. Hayes is not happy.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea (Haug 51)
Liverpool are level and deserve this goal! Haug rises highest over Bright and nods a sensational delivery from Hobinger past Hampton! The cameras cut to Hayes in the dugout and the Chelsea manager looks sick as a dog. Chelsea simply cannot afford to drop points in this title battle.
50 minutes: Holland is a real nuisance down Liverpool’s left and wins a corner from the covering Carter.
46 minutes: So an almost instant equalizer! Holland dealt with Lawrence on the Liverpool left, curled in a cross and Hobinger was left alone at the back post. But the first touch is clumsy and she swings and misses with the second! Chelsea cleared, but almost caught them cold there!
Peeeeeeeeeeeep! And the second half is underway.
The heavens opened in Birkenheadand the wind is up too.
Another match to come.
Half time: Liverpool 0-1 Chelsea
A worrying half for Blues fans despite their lead. Liverpool were the better side. Chelsea won’t worry about the goal difference, they still worry about the result.
45+6 min.: Another impressive Liverpool player, Nagano, is out. But it’s just a slight kick, she’s OK.
45+4 min.: A big chance for Liverpool and Hinds, who is increasingly playing as a winger rather than a full-back. The Liverpool captain gets the ball at his feet in the box, turns carefully and fires just a yard out of the top corner! Hampton had a deflected shot blocked in the Chelsea goal.
45+1 min.: Five added minutes, although I’d expect more than that now due to Koivisto’s injury. The Finland international was encouragingly back to his feet but would not be able to continue and hobbled back to the Liverpool bench. Daniels comes on for Koivisto, who has been so impressive in this first half, flying up and down the right flank.
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