Sjoeke Nusken’s dramatic late finish sent Chelsea back to second in the WSL as the Blues edged Aston Villa 4-3 at Kingsmeadow, keeping faint title hopes alive and bolstering their push for Champions League qualification.
Villa stunned the hosts inside two minutes when Lucy Bronze lost possession to Chasity Grant, who released the ball to Lynn Wilms. Wilms arrived at the near post to meet the cross and sweep the ball past Hannah Hampton to give Villa an early lead.
Chelsea responded before half an hour. In the 20th minute Sam Kerr, returning from Australia’s Asian Cup campaign, finished from a precise pass by Nusken to level. Within seven minutes the Blues had turned it around: Naomi Girma diverted a Lauren James cross into the net for her first WSL goal, and James then curled a powerful effort in from around 20 yards to make it 3-1.
Villa refused to fold. Wilms swung in another dangerous delivery and Kirsty Hanson headed home to reduce the deficit, and moments later she reacted quickest to a loose ball following Wilms’ involvement to make it 3-3 — six goals produced in a frantic first 35 minutes.
The second half was largely dominated by Chelsea. Alyssa Thompson squandered a gilt-edged chance when she headed over from close range, but the decisive moment came with eight minutes remaining. Ellie Carpenter won possession in midfield and played in Sam Kerr, who laid the ball off for Nusken to drill a first-time finish into the corner and restore Chelsea’s lead.
Team news
– Chelsea made three changes for the match: Sam Kerr, Ellie Carpenter and Wieke Kaptein were introduced.
– Aston Villa’s only alteration saw Oceane Deslandes come on for Lucy Parker.
Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor said the victory brought joy and relief, stressing the importance of focusing game by game as they continue to fight for Champions League places. She acknowledged the team should have controlled the match better after leading 3-1 but praised the players’ resilience.
Aston Villa boss Natalia Arroyo described mixed emotions after the match. She expressed frustration at the late defeat and the team’s second-half struggles defending crosses, but also pride in how Villa started the game and fought back from a two-goal deficit. Arroyo called it an entertaining contest and said the performance gave her cause for optimism.