Unbeaten Chelsea cruise past 10-player West Ham
Chelsea Women maintained their unblemished start to the Women’s Super League season with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over a depleted West Ham side at the Chigwell Construction Stadium on Sunday. The Blues secured the win with goals from Aggie Beever-Jones, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Erin Cuthbert, and Wieke Kaptein, moving two points clear at the top of the table.
Chelsea seized control early, netting three goals within the first 15 minutes. Beever-Jones opened the scoring with a precise 25-yard free-kick in the eighth minute, marking her fourth goal in as many league appearances. Rytting Kaneryd doubled the advantage in the 13th minute, capitalizing on a cross from Kaptein. Two minutes later, midfielder Erin Cuthbert exploited a turnover to drill a shot into the top corner, giving Chelsea a commanding 3-0 lead.
West Ham’s prospects deteriorated further in the 23rd minute after midfielder Inès Belloumou received a straight red card for pulling back Alyssa Thompson’s hair, reducing the home side to ten players. The dismissal disrupted West Ham effectively, and Chelsea controlled the remainder of the match.
Despite a second-half drop in tempo, Chelsea’s goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, fresh off receiving the Yashin Trophy for best female goalkeeper at the Ballon d’Or awards, was called into action to deny West Ham clear chances, notably saving a long-range free-kick from Viv Asseyi and a breakaway effort by Ffion Morgan.
The Blues wrapped up the scoring 20 minutes from full time when Dutch midfielder Kaptein scored following a slick one-two with substitute Catarina Macario. Macario herself was denied a late goal when her rising shot struck the crossbar.
This victory not only reinforces Chelsea’s dominance in the Women’s Super League this term but also highlights their depth and tactical versatility under manager Emma Hayes. The signings and squad management have yielded a team displaying sharp attacking transitions and defensive solidity, positioning Chelsea as strong contenders for the league title and European competition. For West Ham, the result exposes the challenges of squad discipline and depth early in the season.