Chelsea defeated West Ham 5-0 this afternoon after goals from Caterina Macario, Erin Cuthbert, Aggie Beever-Jones, Sandy Baltimore and an own goal secured the win for the visitors. For West Ham and Chelsea this was their first Barclays Women’s Super League game of the season on a chilly afternoon at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.
West Ham came into the afternoon looking to build on two home WSL wins in a row. This was West Ham’s first game of 2025 after their match in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup tie against Liverpool was postponed last week owing to a frozen pitch. The home side made one change from the side that beat Crystal Palace 5-2 before the winter break. With Manuela Paví dropping out and Li Mengwen starting in her place in a defensive change from Rehanne Skinner.
Chelsea made three changes from the side that beat Charlton 4-0 in the fourth round of the FA Cup last weekend. Orianne Jean-Francois, Lauren James and Guro Reiten all dropped out and Sjoeke Nüsken, Beaver Jones and Niamh Charles came into the starting eleven. Chelsea were looking to extend their five point lead at the top of the WSL table.
Chelsea have never lost to West Ham in the WSL and have won 16 of their 17 encounters against the Hammers.
The Lineups
WHU: Szemik, Mengwen, Tysiak, Zadorsky, Smith, Denton, Gorry, Siren, Piubel, Ueki, Asseyi
CHE: Hampton; Bronze, Bright, Björn, Charles, Baltimore, Nüsken, Cuthbert, Beever-Jones, Macario, Ramírez
The Action:
Following kick off it was immediately obvious that Baltimore was playing in front of Niamh Charles in her favoured position on the left wing, as opposed to left wing back where she has plied her trade for the season so far. Chelsea started quickly, looking to apply pressure on West Ham on the front foot evidenced by the away side having their third corner of the match prior to the fifth minute. The corner whipped in by Baltimore resulted in a goalmouth scramble that West Ham were able to usher away.
By the 11th minute Chelsea’s pressure told as Macario’s volley fired the blues into the lead. Lucy Bronze drove the ball towards the box, passing to Macario who juggled the ball and played an aerial one-two with Nüsken, Macario received the return ball and guided her left footed volley into the far corner of the net with Kinga Szemik helpless to prevent parity’s exit from the match.
A moment later Beever-Jones drove to the bye line and pulled the ball back to Macario who was unable to double the visitors lead skying the ball from the edge of the six yard box. Chelsea continued to pressure West Ham with the home side needing to defend for long periods with Amber Tysiak denying Mayra Ramírez and Szemik saving from the Colombian too. Macario continued to torment the Hammers, her free kick from 25 yards out missed the target but was enough to send dread into Hammers hearts.
But Chelsea did not have to wait much longer to double their lead. After West Ham gave away the ball, Cuthbert on her 250th competitive appearance for Chelsea slid the ball into the far corner to make it 2-0. Chelsea were not satisfied with the margin of their lead, Bronze played the ball into the box with Baltimore lurking, she feinted right then left before her vicious near post shot was palmed away by the home side’s Polish stopper.
West Ham were in danger of a premature end to the competitive side of their afternoon when Ramírez drove into the box drawing Szemik out of position she lofted the back towards Beever-Jones on the six yard box whose header was brilliantly cleared off the line by Anouk Denton. Dhe was only able to clear the ball only as far as Nüsken whose volley bounced just wide.
Sonia Bompastor’s Chelsea side were purring with ten minutes to play in the first half. Millie Bright powerfully won the ball off Riko Ueki, playing the ball to the onrushing Ramírez who played the ball forward to Baltimore who was just unable to give a wonderful attacking move the finish it deserved. West Ham almost got a goal they would scarcely have deserved after wonderful play from Denton beating the Chelsea press with wonderful close control and agility, she played the ball through to Swiss striker Seraina Piuebel, who, played clean through on goal could only direct her attempt wide.
Denton was driving late first half momentum for West Ham, her darting runs were giving Chelsea some pause for thought after a tough start for the home side. However West Ham’s momentum was undone by the second wonder-goal of the half, Beever-Jones took the ball on the edge of the box and let loose, firing the ball off the post and in. While West Ham pushed for a goal back before half time Chelsea always looked capable of extending their lead further.
With the hope of arresting Chelsea’s charge toward victory in the second half West Ham introduced Shekiera Martinez for Oona Siren, Martinez was returning from a positive loan spell at the Frauen-Bundesliga side Freiburg. The two sides began the second half by swapping wayward efforts in the first few minutes of the half.
Chelsea made it four in the 51st minute after yet another shot from outside the box from Chelsea was fired with pinpoint precision from Baltimore into the West Ham net. Chelsea continued to threaten before the 60 minute mark breaking quickly, Nüsken quite brilliantly found Baltimore who was crowded out by Denton and Martinez as West Ham recovered well.
West Ham showed signs of life with 20 minutes to play as Ueki cut inside on the edge of the Chelsea box and fired her shot straight at Hannah Hampton clad in fluorescent orange in the Chelsea goal. With just over ten minutes to play West Ham’s Viviane Asseyi fired the ball against the hand of a Chelsea defender but the home side saw their appeals waved away. The Hammers mood would not improve as Chelsea increased the lead to 5-0 after great running from Cuthbert who placed the ball in a dangerous area where Tysiak was only able to turn the ball into her own net from six yards out. Katrina Gorry’s late shot threatened to deny Chelsea a clean sheet but Chelsea held on for a 5-0 victory.
West Ham’s next match will come midweek against Tottenham in the Subway League Cup while Chelsea welcome Durham in the same competition. In the WSL West Ham face relegation rivals Everton while Chelsea host now second place Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.
The Halfway Line Player of the Match: Sandy Baltimore
You could have taken your pick of Chelsea attacking players or even West Ham defender Anouk Denton who did her best to halt an unstoppable wave of Chelsea attacking prowess.
However it was Sandy Baltimore who stood out above the rest. Back in her preferred position on the wing she was electric and seemed to be everywhere, her delivery, pace and intelligence were simply astounding. Baltimore did not neglect her defensive duties with her work rate second to none. Her performance was capped off with a wonderful goal from outside the box.
