Defending champions Chelsea start new WSL season with a tight win against Manchester City

Chelsea opened their Women’s Super League campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Manchester City at Stamford Bridge, as Sonia Bompastor’s side began their quest for a seventh consecutive league title.

It was a night that underlined the qualities which have defined Chelsea’s dominance: ruthless finishing, defensive resilience, and the ability to win even when not at their fluent best.

City, under new head coach Andrée Jeglertz, gave a spirited performance but were punished for lapses at the back, while Chelsea extended their unbeaten league run to 26 matches, a streak dating back to May 2024.

The breakthrough came through one of Chelsea’s brightest young talents, Aggie Beever-Jones. Latching onto a precise low cross from debutant Ellie Carpenter, she swept home to ignite the home crowd. Carpenter, signed from Lyon this summer, immediately justified her billing as a marquee signing. Bompastor, who previously coached the Australian defender, hailed her display: “I know Ellie by heart. She brought an immediate impact, and I’m not surprised. It was a great performance.”

City had chances of their own. Hannah Hampton was sharp in goal for Chelsea, denying Khadija Shaw twice in the opening stages, once with a flying dive to her left and again with a strong save at close range. Alex Greenwood’s free-kick rattled the bar as City pressed for a leveller before half-time.

But Chelsea struck again after the interval. Wieke Kaptein was afforded space in midfield to pick out Maika Hamano, who ghosted into the box unmarked and calmly slotted in their second. The defending champions’ efficiency was clinical; City’s defensive frailties costly.

Jeglertz’s side, however, refused to fold. Lauren Hemp caused problems cutting in from the right, and Yui Hasegawa spurned a fine chance when she flicked wide from close range. Their persistence finally forced a breakthrough when Niamh Charles inadvertently headed Greenwood’s whipped free-kick into her own net, setting up a tense finale.

Chelsea, though, held firm. Shaw came closest to an equaliser when she blasted over with 11 minutes to play, but City could not break through again. Their night ended with further concern as both Greenwood and teenager Lily Murphy picked up injuries in stoppage time.

For Chelsea, the evening also carried a sense of anticipation for the future. Alyssa Thompson, signed on deadline day from Angel City for a club-record £1.1m, was presented to the crowd before kick-off. Though not yet ready for her debut, her arrival strengthens Bompastor’s squad as they target an unprecedented quadruple.

Jeglertz admitted City had been undone by a poor first half but praised his players’ reaction after the break. “I think we nailed our high press in the second half, but in the first their formation was not what we expected. We created enough chances to get at least a point, but that’s how it is.”

For Chelsea, the win was another reminder of their consistency. Even on a night when the top tier of Stamford Bridge stood largely empty just weeks after a record-breaking Euro 2025, the champions did what they always seem to do: find a way.