Nocturnal 
Chelsea made it four Women’s Super League wins in a row as they beat West Ham 3-0 away from home, with summer signing Melvine Malard among the scorers.
The French forward, who joined Chelsea from Manchester United, broke the deadlock eight minutes before half-time with what Sky Sports described as a composed finish into the bottom corner. West Ham kept fighting after the break, but England midfielder Keira Walsh settled things with 10 minutes to go, firing home from the edge of the box for her third goal of the season. Maika Hamano added a third with a far-post header just three minutes from time.
The win moves Chelsea to the top of the WSL table, although they have now played one more game than reigning champions Manchester City, who were in action against Arsenal later the same day. It is Chelsea’s fourth successive league win and keeps their unbeaten start to the campaign intact.
Why it matters
Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor said she was pleased to see her side grind out a result against a well-organised opponent. “We said before the game that we wanted to finish the block strong,” she said. “It was a really condensed block and the best teams just find a way to win.”
Bompastor praised Malard’s opener, calling it “a great goal”, adding that her side had to be patient against West Ham’s low block before space opened up. “We probably did not create as much as we wanted in the first half but never easy to play a back five and a low block so we needed to be patient,” she said. She also pointed to Walsh’s more advanced role this season as a factor behind the midfielder’s recent scoring form. “I think Keira is playing a little bit higher than last season. It helps us a lot in terms of creating opportunities,” Bompastor said, adding that Walsh’s shot “is so great” that she is now a regular goal threat from distance.
Substitute Lexi Potter, brought on at half-time, also earned praise from her manager. “I think as you could see when Lexi is playing right now for our team she is really good,” Bompastor said, adding that Potter “is a starter for us, there is no doubt on that”.
West Ham’s defeat came on the same afternoon as several other notable WSL results. London City Lionesses thrashed Tottenham 6-1, with Alexia Putellas scoring twice, underlining their title ambitions in just their fourth season in the top flight. Everton edged past Birmingham City, Crystal Palace earned a point at Aston Villa, and Brighton put six past bottom side Charlton.
What happens next
Chelsea’s players will now head off for international duty during the upcoming break, something Bompastor said was well-timed after a demanding run of fixtures. “This block has been intense with many big games and a lot of travel so it is good to recharge and be ready for the next one,” she said. West Ham, meanwhile, will look to regroup after a frustrating afternoon in which they limited Chelsea for long periods before conceding twice late on.
