An early Aggie Beever-Jones goal was enough to see Chelsea secure a 1-0 victory over Leicester City at Kingsmeadow on Sunday afternoon.
Chelsea welcomed Leicester City to Kingsmeadow still unbeaten in the league since a 4-3 defeat to Liverpool in May 2024. Leicester had taken their first three points of the season against the same opponent last weekend their 1-0 victory shocking many in the division.
Sonia Bompastor offered a full Chelsea debut to Dutch centre back Veerle Buurman who had so impressed on loan at PSV Eindhoven last term. Summer signing Mara Alber featured in a Chelsea matchday squad for the first time while academy prospect Chloe Sarwie also made the bench.
Leicester City were the first team to take points off Chelsea in the league last term and they were looking to do the same again on Sunday afternoon. Leicester City welcomed Chantelle Swaby and Noemie Mouchon to a matchday squad for the first time this season. While Heather Payne started for the first time in Leicester City blue.
A moments silence was impeccably observed at Kingsmeadow following the passing of former Chelsea, Liverpool and West Ham head coach Matt Beard at the age of 47. All the thoughts of everyone at The Halfway Line are with Matt Beard’s family and friends at this unimaginably difficult time.
The Lineups
CHE: Hampton; Carpenter, Bright, Björn, Buurman, Baltimore; Walsh, Kaptein, Cuthbert; Macario, Aggie Beever-Jones
LEI: Leitzig; Payne, Boureille, Thibaud, Cayman, Ale; Tierney, McLoughlin, van Egmond; Cain, Eiríksdóttir
The Action
On a day adorned by sunshine rarely found in West London in September, Chelsea kicked off in familiar blue and their opponents lined up in highlighter pink. Within the first five minutes Chelsea had adhered to the script securing the lead. It was a third goal in as many games for Aggie Beever-Jones. The striker, in electric form received the ball on the turn from Erin Cuthbert with the goal at her mercy fired into the roof of the net. Buurman’s wonderful driving run from defence had done much to set up the opportunity.
The Foxes responded well to going behind, attempting to press Chelsea high up the pitch. Emily van Egmond had their first effort with 10 minutes on the clock but her shot trickled harmlessly wide. Chelsea always looked a threat, five minutes later they broke forward again with Beever-Jones driving into the box at pace, she found Ellie Carpenter in space on the right side of the box. The Australian steadied herself with a touch before firing her effort straight down the throat of Janina Leitzig in between the sticks for the Foxes.
Chelsea were beginning to sniff out a second with Erin Cuthbert taking aim from range but Leitzig was equal to the effort. The side adorned in pink were competing well and were unafraid to get their foot on the ball and play. Chelsea came close once more before the half an hour mark. Again it was Cuthbert with a shot from outside the box and again it was a great save from Leitzig. The Scottish midfielder was dictating the play from the middle of the park.
With time ticking down in the first half a miscued header from Celeste Boureille set Cat Macario through but her shot was straight at Leitzig. A flurry of Chelsea corners saw out the half, with a beautifully struck effort from Walsh, on the edge of the box tipped over the bar by Leicester’s German keeper.
Alyssa Thompson was introduced from the bench at half time much to the excitement of the home crowd. And the second half began with good attacking intent from Thompson, with Chelsea probing in search of a second. Cuthbert’s tame header was the closest they’d come in the second half with 60 minutes on the clock.
Leicester were not without the occasional threat of their own, Julie Thibaud’s effort after nice interplay on the edge of the box was wayward. Shortly after Hlín Eiríksdóttir found space in the box but her meek effort was easy for Hannah Hampton to deal with.
Just over twenty minutes remained when Sam Kerr came off the bench to partner Beever-Jones up front. Leicester responded with an attacking change of their own with Jutta Rantala entering the fray. Leicester came desperately close to stealing a point late on but a wonderful save from Hampton denied the Foxes. It was a wicked effort from Rosella Ayane from outside the box, but the England number one magnificently tipped her shot onto the bar, the follow up was both wayward and offside.
Chelsea’s Aggie Beever-Jones eyes up Golden Boot
Prior to the start of this season all the talk of the Golden Boot race revolved around a few names, mainly Alessia Russo and Bunny Shaw, the pair who shared the award last season. In all that discourse, an overlooked name is that of Aggie Beever-Jones. Perhaps because she played a less prominent role in the Lionesses summer of success. Regardless three goals in three games is the type of form that will put you on top of the tree come May.
Beever-Jones has reached a level of consistency in front of goal that has seen her force her way into that conversation. With Mayra Ramirez out and Sam Kerr tentatively returning, the timing of her new found consistency could not be better for Sonia Bompastor’s blues.
Leicester City show resilience
Going 1-0 down within five minutes, away to the champions usually does not spell an afternoon of positives for a side tipped for relegation. However the Foxes demonstrated just the type of resilience that they will need if they are to steer clear of the drop this term. They combined well when they did have the ball with small amounts of space to work in.
Their goalkeeper Leitzig put in a wonderful performance but Leicester did well to deny Chelsea clear opportunities in front of goal. Goals remain an issue for the visitors but that is a problem rarely solved away at Chelsea. The return to fitness of players like Mouncon and Rantala will surely help.
The Halfway Line Player of the Match: Janina Leitzig
Today the goalkeeper reminded everyone why she initially arrived at Leicester from German giants Bayern Munich. The German made seven saves with three of those coming from inside the box.
Particularly at the end of the first half Leitzig made a string of magnificent saves to keep her side in it. The pick of the bunch came on the stroke of half time, tipping the ball over after a stinging effort from Kiera Walsh.
