Key events
Here’s Suzanne Wrack’s match report:
Summing up
Who needs Sam Kerr? Well, Chelsea do and will, overall, but in their injured striker’s absence, Lauren James provided yet more evidence of her star quality with another Stamford Bridge hat-trick for a Chelsea side who looked as if they would tear Manchester United to pieces in the first half-hour before their opponents remembered that they’ve some class in their ranks too and probed at some flaws in Chelsea’s armoury. But they weren’t ultimately coherent or ruthless enough, and defeat will only add to the pressure on their manager, Marc Skinner, with a top-three place looking a tall order now.
It was a decent, feisty game overall, but one that reminded us that Chelsea are still the standard-setters. Our match report will be up on the site soon but that’s us done for this game. Thanks for reading and emailing. Bye.
Some scores from elsewhere: In the WSL, Liverpool are winning at Man City through Taylor Hinds, Brighton have an early 1-0 lead against Bristol City and Championship leaders Charlton beat Blackburn 3-2. Leeds beat Preston 2-1 in the men’s Championship to boost their promotion hopes.
And Sheffield United have equalised against West Ham.
Emma Hayes adds to the James love. “She’s shown she can do it as a 10, a 9, her holdup play is unbelievable. We were superb as a team, in the first half in particular. I made brave decisions today, particuarly at the back, and I can’t help it, it’s what I’ll do – I’ll make brave decisions.”
As for that search for her successor … “Paul Green [the club’s general manager] is leading the search but it’s important they make that decision, not me, I don’t want someone ringing me up in two years asking about it.” As for the SAm Kerr-shaped hole, “of course [we need a No 9] but everyone’s got to take their turns, Lauren today, Mia Fishel last week.” They certainly didn’t miss her greatly today.
Lauren James speaks: “It’s alway tough against Man United but with fans behind us it helped – we love playing here, you could tell everyone was up for it.” As for the grief she got from some United, she’s asked whether that adds to the joy: “For sure but for me it’s just focusing on what I can do and silence anyone who’s hating.” It’s a second hat-trick at the Bridge for her.
The football never stops: Man City v Liverpool is go! Join Sarah Rendell for all that:
Marc Skinner, feeling the pressure perhaps, is having stern words with the officials, but today’s defeat wasn’t down to them. They played some nice stuff late in the first half and for much of the second, but Chelsea were the more accomplished side.
Full-time: Chelsea 3-1 Manchester United
And that’s that. The champions and leaders march on, deserved winners overall despite their mid-match wobble.
90+6 mins: Hampton goes down again under pressure from Parris, collecting a high cross. But is OK. Then Geyse escapes down the left, gets to the byline and skims a low ball straight across the face of the goal. No one’s on the end of it.
90+5 mins: United sub: Evans for Blundell, perhaps the visitors’ best player today.
90+4 mins: Kirby and Nuusken combine inside the area, the former delaying her shot and laying off to the latter instead, but she belts it high and wide.
90+3 mins: Decent United chance, as Naalsund’s 20-yard strike forces HAmpton to backpedal and catch. Good buildup play from Williams and Galton too.
90+2 mins: Parris wins United a corner on the right. It’s a good ball in for Zelem, the combative Williams meets it with a header but it’s blocked two yards out and Chelsea scramble clear.
90 mins: We’ll have seven more minutes of this
89 mins: Chelsea sub – James goes off to a standing ovation, to be replaced by another club legend, Fran Kirby.
88 mins: Chelsea had begun to look the likelier side again in fairness, but United will be ruing those spurned chances earlier in the half.
Goal! Chelsea 3-1 Man Utd (James 85, hat-trick)
That should settle it. James, quiet this half, gets on the end of a headed flick-on from Nusken, powers past Le Tissier and – one v one with Earps – doesn’t miss.
83 mins: Williams and Parris rough up Cuthbert, conceding a free-kick. Reiten’s delivery is headed clear by Parris but only to Leopolz, whose shot is deflected for a corner. United clear it.
81 mins: United sub – the dangerous Rachel Williams on for Toone, this could get interesting.
80 mins: Kaneryd gets clear down the right but her ball in is too close for Earps, who gathers.
78 mins: Kaneryd catches the lively Blundell on the shin, Marc Skinner screams for a card, but doesn’t get one. It’s a free-kick though … that Chelsea clear.
77 mins: Chelsea sub: Carter for Buchanan
76 mins: As I was typing about that penalty shout, United’s Nikkita Parris was shown a yellow card. It’s getting spicy our there.
75 mins: Big United penalty shout, Galron muscles past Lawrence and two defenders to get inside the box, she tumbles under Lawrence’s recovery challenge but probably not enough in it to be a foul. But we’ve all seen them given …
74 mins: Chelsea are beginning to play with a bit more flair again now though and Kaneryd and Reiten revive their first-half give-and-gos on the right but United clear the resultant cross.
72 mins: United’s defenders get in each other’s way inside the box, yielding possession and a chance for James on the left, which is blocked by Riviere. That would have been a goal in the first half but United are so much more competitive now
71 mins: Geyse continues to be a muscular, skillful handful on the United left but this time her low ball in for Toone isn’t strong enough and Chelsea clear.
69 mins: United subs: Parris for Garcia, a like for like swap; and Naalsund is on for the goalscorer, Ladd
66 mins: Hampton goes down and requests treatment, prompting chants of “same old Chelsea, always cheating” from the away end, somewhat harshly. I think she hurt herself blocking from Ladd in that double chance. She’s good to stay on though.
64 mins: Post! Kaneryd wins a corner on the right; from it, James sends a probing deep cross from the right that Bjorn heads against the post.
63 mins: This is a properly exciting full-blooded match now, as Lawrence dispossesses Galton, who chases back to win it back near the right by-line, but Chelsea regain the ball and Leopolz crosses for Reiten who heads over.
59 mins: James goes straight down the other end, twists and turns in the box, but her shot is deflected into the side netting. The corner comes to nothing.
58 mins: How did United not score? Garcia got clear inside the box on the right but delaued a fraction, saw her shot blocked, then Ladd did likewise on the edge of the six-yard box. Good defending from Hampton but United should be level.
56 mins: Blundell and Riviere getting forward from full-back more is making a big difference for United now, as the visitors continue to enjoy more of the play, and in more dangerous areas.
54 mins: Chelsea substitution – Nusken is on now, replacing a tiring Fishel, meaning James will move forward into the No 9 role
53 mins: The pattern of the closing minutes of the first half is being replicated here.
52 mins: United chances! Some lovely linkup play between Blundell and Geyse feeds Toone whose shot is blocked at the last, but the Reds come again and Garcia gets some space on the right but fires wide.
50 mins: Man Utd booking: Ladd rakes her studs into the back of, I think, Cuthbert’s ankle and is booked
49 mins: Garcia seizes possession in midfield, powers forward and feeds Geyse to her left but her danger is snuffed out with a decent tackle this time.
49 mins: Toone looks OK to continue, as United control possession for the moment.
47 mins: Blundell forges down the left, winning a throw by the corner, but Ella Toone looks to have twisted something in the challenge with Leupolz that fed Blundell. Toone needs treatment.
Peep! United get us back under way. There was some sub confusion, with Nusken getting stripped and ready to come on as sub for Chelsea but then told to sit down again.
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Some scores on the doors elsewhere: in the women’s Championship, Charlton lead Blackburn 2-0, Lewes lead Durham 1-0 and in the men’s Championship Leeds and Preston are still drawing 1-1.
And in the men’s Prem, Rob Smyth is talking you through this:
In the away end, a United fan is holding up a “Skinner out” placard. Dissent and Manchester United are rarely strangers these days.
Half-time: Chelsea 2-1 Manchester United
Well, we’ve got ourselves a game. Chelsea looked embarrassingly dominant for half an hour but gradually the visitors began to grow in confidence and pressure, got a goal, and suddenly the game is in the balance. I’m off for a poached egg on toast – see you in a bit.
45+3 mins: …It’s wasted. Reiten’s delivery is tricky, and headed clear but Kaneryd squanders the chance, half-volleying wide and high
45+2 mins: United are suddenly competing everywhere, Riviere getting stuck in with a decent challenge on the right, but they then concede a needless corner …
45 mins: Chelsea suddenly don’t look so imperious, as Galton raids into the area again but this time Chelsea clear. United come again through Geyse, who suddenly looks the most dangerous player on the pitch. Her cross from the right for Galton is eventually well claimed by Hampton though.
Three additional minutes loom
Goal! Chelsea 2-1 Man Utd (Ladd 43)
41 mins: Some green shoots for United as a decent counter sees Ladd feed Toone on the left but Chelsea smother it out again but United come again, and Geyse does brilliantly on the right, gets to the byline, pulls it. back for Garcia. Buchanan blocks her shot but Ladd follows up emphatically. Game on?
39 mins: Another United shot on target! This from Garcia in a central area but her firm effort goes straight into Hampton’s midriff.
38 mins: Leopolz and Fishel combine to tee up KAneryd on the right but United clear the danger after blocking her shot, but it’s another attack that stemmed from Red sloppiness, Le Tissier having sent an aimless pass out for a throw.
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
