Liverpool jeopardise exhausted Chelsea's WSL defence in 7-goal WSL thriller
Thursday 2 May 2024
Barclays WSL 2023/24 Season
Matchday 20 out of 22
Prenton Park, Prenton Rd W, Birkenhead CH42 9PY, UK
Liverpool jeopardise exhausted Chelsea's WSL defence in 7-goal WSL thriller
MATCH PREVIEW:
The heat is on Chelsea. Following their bad run of results of late, the only piece of silverware left for them is the WSL trophy. After seeing Manchester City thrash Bristol City on Sunday, this was a must-win game for them to cut the gap to just 3 points, albeit having 2 games in hand, due to the UWCL participation. For Liverpool, they've been doing ok for the past couple of games, with 2 wins, a draw and a loss from their last 4 games. In the reverse fixture, Chelsea smashed Liverpool by 5-1 thanks to Lauren James's hat-trick at Stamford Bridge. Now, we're at Prenton Park, at the business end of the season, who will grab 3 points and decide the title race? Can Liverpool beat Chelsea for the 2nd straight year at home to make it advantage Manchester City in the title race, or will Chelsea cut the gap to 3 points by winning here today?
TEAM NEWS & Form Guide:
Form Guide for Liverpool: LWDLW
A formation change and 3 alterations for Liverpool from their narrow win away at Bristol City, with Ceri Holland, Emma Koivisto & former Manchester City defender Gemma Bonner start in place of Missy Bo-Kearns, Leanne Kiernan and Lucy Parry. This is Gemma Bonner's 150th club appearance. Milestone moment for the 32-year-old. And it is also Missy Bo Kearns's 100th appearance for Liverpool. Formation: 3-5-2.
Starting XI: Micah, Fisk, Bonner, Clark, Koivisto, Höbinger, Nagano, Holland, Hinds (C), Enderby, Haug
Substitutes: Matthews, Kearns, Kiernan, Lawley, Daniëls, Chadwick, Spencer, Leath
Form Guide for Chelsea: LLWWL
There is no Lauren James & Mayra Ramirez in the starting XI for Chelsea as Hayes makes 3 changes from their home loss to Barcelona. A first start for Millie Bright as she returned from injury, Fran Kirby and Aggie Beever-Jones start in place of Melanie Leupolz and Kadiesha Buchanan. Formation: 4-3-3
Starting XI: Hampton, Lawrence, Carter, Bright, Charles, Cuthbert, Nüsken, Kirby, Beever-Jones, Macario, Kaneryd
Substitutes: Musovic, Ingle, Reiten, Périsset, Mjelde, Hamano, Buchanan, Björn, Cox
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Gemma Bonner: It is a milestone game for the 32-year-old, who is set to make her 150th club appearace. Having already had a spell with Manchester City and her second spell with the Reds, can she produce a magical moment for her side?
Aggie Beever-Jones: This youngster has had a good season so far with Chelsea, bagging goals for fun. She has 7 WSL goals this season in almost 9 starts with Chelsea. Can she grab more today?
KICK-OFF: FIRST HALF
The crunch game begins. A race for the title for the reigning champions Chelsea and top 4 ambitions for Liverpool. Who will come out on top? You can see that Chelsea have started quicker and have a load of energy. The deadlock was broken on the 10th minute of the first half. Corner for Chelsea, after Macario and Cuthbert work it well, with the ball taking a nick on the way through. Macario with the outswinger, BEEVER-JONES HEADS IT IN!! THE DREAM START FOR CHELSEA IN A MUST-WIN GAME, AND AGGIE BEEVER-JONES HAS GIVEN EMMA HAYES'S SIDE THE START THEY WANTED. LOVELY OUTSWINGER FROM CATARINA MACARIO AND A SIMPLE FINISH REALLY, FROM THE YOUNGSTER!! LIVERPOOL 0 - CHELSEA 1!!
This is not the Liverpool we know, when it comes to defending set pieces. Can they hit back with a response? Fun fact, Chelsea have scored the opening goal in their past 31 matches and have not lost, with their previous loss coming against Liverpool, last year in September 2022, where they lost 2-1. Can they hold on this time?
There weren't many good chances for the hosts, with Chelsea absolutely donimating the ball, and giving Liverpool any space to create chances. The hosts did have a chance, but the returning Millie Bright was equal to the challenge. Tackles are flying in, and chances are being created, and this got Chelsea on the back foot late in the second half, with Liverpool pressing their opposition very nicely despite, Emma Koivsito going off injured in the 9 minutes of first half stoppage time. HALF-TIME AT PRENTON PARK. Chelsea will be the happier of the two sides, as they are now 3 points behind Manchester City, if this continues, the title race is well and truly on!
KICK-OFF: SECOND HALF
Liverpool kick-off the second half as they are trailing going into the second half, with a response needed sooner or later. They continued to attack the Chelsea defence and almost scored, but Marie Höbinger could not steer her effort on target, after Ceri Holland muscled her way into the penalty area. Big chance missed. But they made up for that missed opportunity, with an equaliser on 51 minutes. Höbinger swings in the corner, AND THE HEADER IS THERE!!! LIVERPOOL ARE LEVEL!! SOPHIE ROMAIN HAUG HAS SCORED!! GETS ON THE END OF THE AUSTRIAN'S LOVELY CROSS, WITH ALL THE CHELSEA PLAYERS SCRAMBLING ACROSS TO MARK THE NORWEGIAN!! Excellent set piece play and it's all square. LIVERPOOL 1 - CHELSEA 1.
That was a kick in the teeth for Chelsea. Sophie Haug's aerial threat proved the difference, with Chelsea's response being, a double change, Maika Hamano & Sophie Ingle are on for Nüsken and Kirby.
Liverpool continued their dominance on the left-hand side of their wing area as they tormented Chelsea's right hand side, thanks to the young and quick Mia Enderby making great runs into the box and forcing Hannah Hampton into a fine save to win another corner for Liverpool. And once again, Liverpool scored and took the lead for the first time in this game. In from Höbinger again, BONNERRR!!! THE AERIAL THREAT OF LIVERPOOL HAS PAID OFF AGAIN FROM THE SET PIECE!! Marie Höbinger continues to impress with her set-piece prowess, as Liverpool TAKE THE LEAD BY 2-1 ON THE 65TH MINUTE. IMPRESSIVE FROM MATT BEARD'S SIDE.
Gemma Bonner's header made it 2-1 to Liverpool
How big of a setback is this for Chelsea? Without Lauren James and Sam Kerr, they are struggling for goals. Hayes has maxed out her substitutions and now, it's up to the Blues to continue fighting! And fight on they did, as on 81 minutes, Chelsea levelled for the first time. Macario swings in the corner, Charles keeps it alive, AND BEEVER-JONES AGAIN!! SUBLIME STRIKE ON THE HALF VOLLEY FROM AGGIE BEEVER-JONES TO DRAW CHELSEA LEVEL WITH 11 MINUTES TO PLAY!! GAME ON AT PRENTON PARK!! Big goal in the context of this game.
2 minutes later, Liverpool took the lead again!!! Ceri Holland with a beautiful turn, runs with the ball, finds Kiernan, IT'S LEANNE KIERNANNNN!!!! OH MY GOODNESS ME!! I CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT I'VE WITNESSED, LIVERPOOL TAKE THE LEAD AGAIN!! BRILLIANT PLAY FROM THE YOUNG 24-YEAR-OLD, who slots it past the helpless Hampton, who came off her line to try and sntach the ball off the Irish striker, but it's LIVERPOOL 3 - CHELSEA 2. WILL THERE BE MORE TWISTS WITH 7 MIINUTES TO PLAY?
Kiernan wheels off in celebration as she puts Liverpool 3-2 up with 7 to play.
Almost immediately, Chelsea equalised on 86 minutes. Périsset controls the ball beautifully, finds Erin Cuthbert, who is kind of running out of space, cuts it back, MACARIOOOO!!! CHELSEA ARE LEVEL AGAIN!!? WHAT DRAMA ARE WE SEEING?! LIVERPOOL SWITCH OFF FOR A MINUTE AND CHELSEA ARE BACK IN THE GAME. GOOD FINISH FROM CATARINA MACARIO, EVEN THOUGH THE FULL DEFENCE OF LIVERPOOL COULD NOT STOP THE BALL FROM GOING IN. MADNESS, ABSOLUTE MADNESS AS WE HEAD INTO STOPPAGE TIME
Beever-Jones and Macario high-five each other with the scores level at 3-3.
9 minutes of additional time are to be added on for the second half stoppage time, and Liverpool won it within the second minute. Liverpool have a corner, in from Höbinger, GEMMA BONNER HAS SCORED AGAINN!!!! ON HER 150TH CLUB APPEARANCE, GEMMA BONNER HAS JUST GONE ON AND WON THE GAME FOR HER BELOVED CLUB SHE SUPPORTS! ANOTHER PHENOMENAL SET PIECE PLAY FROM THE HOSTS, AND THE 32-YEAR-OLD'S AERIAL HEADER IS PIN-POINT AND INTO THE BACK OF THE NET!! STUNNING SCENES HERE, AT PRENTON PARK!! GEMMA BONNER MAKES IT LIVERPOOL 4 - CHELSEA 3, WITH ONLY 7 MINUTES OF STOPPAGE TIME TO PLAY!! WILL THIS BE THE FINAL TWIST OF THE GAME?! CHELSEA'S TITLE HOPES ARE IN THE BALANCE!! THEY HAVE TO SCORE AND AVOID THEIR THIRD DEFEAT OF THE SEASON!
Bonner celebrates after heading in Höbinger's cross for 4-3
As for Chelsea, their chance to make it 4-4 was denied in the closing stages, Périsset plays a one-two with Hamano, returned back to the French defender by young Hamano, in goes the cross, Macario's header, AND BEEVER-JONES, AND OH M Y WORD!! WHAT AN OUTSTANDING SAVE BY TEAGAN MICAH!! TO JUST ABOUT SCRAPE LIVERPOOL TO 3 POINTS AGAINST CHELSEA!! WHAT AN INCREDIBLE SAVE, FROM THE 26-YEAR-OLD AUSTRALIAN KEEPER!! ABSOLUTE SCENES!!!
AND THAT IS IT!! THE FULL-TIME WHISTLE HAS SOUNDED, AND IT'S THE HOSTS, WHO HOLD ON TO WIN AGAIN!! CHELSEA came agonisingly close to a leveller, but had it not been for Teagan Micah, Chelsea would've got away with a point. But it didn't happen, as Liverpool punished the WSL champions for not taking their chances properly.
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