Chelsea’s depth pays off as Arsenal and Man Utd secure dominant wins – key talking points from the WSL | Football News

Chelsea’s squad depth will carry them to the title

Chelsea’s victory at Man City was a clear indicator of their immense squad depth.

Sonia Bompastor made six changes from midweek, handing WSL starts to usual substitutes like Aggie Beever-Jones, Mika Hamano, and Oriane Jean-Francois.

The first half certainly showed in the changes. It was ponderous and pedestrian at times – words we don’t often associate with Chelsea. A refereeing controversy and the width of a post kept them from being 3-0 down at the break.

But not for the first time this season, Bompastor needed a bombastic half-time team talk. It had the desired effect, with Beever-Jones – one of the players offered her chance to help the team – equalizing after the break.

And as the second half continued, so did the ramping up of pressure, and the talent off the bench just kept coming. Keira Walsh, Mayra Ramirez, and winning goalscorer Erin Cuthbert just to name three.

There was also a return from an ACL for Mia Fischel, and that’s before we even remember Sam Kerr is yet to come back from the same injury.

Chelsea are getting the job done when they need to in the WSL, and squad rotation is helping to cope with a heavy fixture list. It’s the mark of champions when everyone plays their part.

Now, that same mentality needs to be applied in Thursday’s Man City finale as Chelsea looks to overturn a 2-0 deficit in the Champions League. Each player will be needed once again.
Charlotte Marsh

Man Utd ruthless as they keep the heat on Arsenal

While Chelsea have been a class apart this term, the battle for who will finish as runners-up to the champions-elect has been gripping in recent months.

Arsenal have won 10 of their last 11 matches – with the latest coming on Saturday, when they thumped Liverpool 4-0 and moved three points clear of their closest rivals.

But Man Utd matched the Gunners result on Sunday, when they beat Aston Villa by the same scoreline. The Villans are struggling, just one point above bottom club Crystal Palace, and manager Natalia Arroyo admitted after the game they are low on confidence. Who can blame them?

Even so, Marc Skinner’s side took full advantage, with a 40-yard screamer from Grace Clinton the pick of the goals at Villa Park. Arsenal is seven better off than United in terms of goal difference, so matching them was important.

It’s as you were with just five games left to play this season.
Dan Long

Kerolin proves to be a tricky customer again for Bompastor’s Blues

Kerolin has been in and out of the Man City team since joining from North Carolina Courage in January and while she has impressed from the off, without a regular starting spot nailed down yet, the Brazil international has not had too many chances to make a substantial impact.

In four of her 11 appearances to date, she has played 15 minutes or less, but she has started the last two – both against Chelsea – and come away with a goal and an assist.

In Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against the Blues, she set up Vivianne Miedema to score her second in a 2-0 win and, on Sunday, she capped a superb first-half performance with her first WSL goal.

She gave Niamh Charles nightmares when she got away twice on the right-hand