Chelsea secured all three points and went top of the table in the WSL game as they won 3-0. Goals from Aggie Beever-Jones, Maika Hamano and Kadeisha Buchanan settled the win for the Blues.
Chelsea now go top of the table on goal difference before Manchester City play on Sunday.
TEAM NEWS: Chelsea:
Emma Hayes named 4 changes since their last WSL game vs West Ham last month. Sophie Ingle, Maika Hamano, Catarina Macario and Fran Kirby all come in, as Lauren James, Melanie Leupolz, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Jelena Cankovic make way.
Catarino Macario and Maika Hamano both made their first starts for Chelsea and Emma Hayes also took charge of her 200th WSL game.
Starting 11: Hampton, Lawrence, Buchanan, Carter (Cuthbert 69’), Charles © (Reiten 56’), Ingle, Nusken, Hamano, Kirby, Beever-Jones (Kaneryd 81’), Macario (Ramirez 69’) .
Unused Subs: Musovic, Leupolz, Perisset.
Aston Villa:
Carla Ward named 3 changes since their last WSL game which was against Leicester City. Miri Taylor, Simone Magill and Sarah Mayling all come in as Alisha Lehmann, Adriana Leon and Danielle Turner leave the 11. There's a first start for Miri Taylor and Simone Magill made her 100th WSL Appearance.
Starting 11: Leat (Poor 4’), Mayling (Lehmann 81’), Patten, Corsie, Maritz, Nobbs, Taylor, Magill (Mullet 81’), Dali (Hanson 68’), Salmon (4’ Off for Leat - Red Card), Daly.
Unused Subs: Gregory, Leon.
During the 90:
First Half:
Aston Villa had an opening five minutes to forget. As Daphne van Domselaar is out injured, Anna Leat came in and has played well throughout the last few games. In the 4th minute, she came out of her box and handled the ball outside her area, sending her down the tunnel. Sophia Poor came in for her Debut as Ebony Salmon had to make way.
Chelsea were very dominant for the next 30 minutes after the sending off. In the 8th minute Rachel Corise received a yellow card due to a foul outside the box on Niamh Charles. She now misses the West Ham game.
Chances from Sjoeke Nusken, Maika Hamano, Aggie Beever-Jones and Catarina Macario looked to have put the blues ahead but nothing came from these chances.
Jordan Nobbs also had an attempt for Aston Villa from outside the area but she fired it over the bar.
In the 18th Minute, Aggie Beever-Jones put Chelsea 1-0 Ahead. It started from Niamh Charles as she crossed it in on the left side of the pitch and it looked to have gone past her. She then comes back and volleys it into the bottom left corner.
Chelsea continue to dominate the first half. A chance from Fran Kirby as she received the ball from Macario but then went wide on the far post. At the half hour mark, Sophia Poor saved the ball after Nusken looked to find the second, and then just seconds later, she fired the ball wide after the second chance.
Chelsea went 2-0 ahead and went top of the table on goal difference in the 38th minute. Maika Hamano got her first goal for the club after she slipped the ball into the back of the net. She received the ball from Macario after she flicked the ball to the Japanese International.
Maika Hamano looked to have found her second of the game but she fired an effort outside of the box.
Half-time score: Chelsea 2-0 Aston Villa
Second Half:
Chelsea came out for the second half, putting all the pressure on Aston Villa as they did in the first half. Aggie Beever-Jones continued to be a prominent player as she had a chance on the right side from her own half. When she came into the box, she cut it on the inside but Sophia Poor collected it.
Hamano looked for her second of the match as she put pressure on the Aston Villa Keeper, but she didn't find the back of the net. Fran Kirby also had a chance four minutes later but her effort fired wide of the far post. In the 61st minute, Sophie Ingle received her first yellow card in Chelsea Blue after a foul.
In the 64th minute, The blues went 3-0 ahead after a goal from Buchanan. This was her first for the club, after Macario crossed it in and found the head of the defender. It initially bounced off Anna Patten from Aston Villa.
Chelsea looked for a fourth as Substitute Mayra Ramirez made a run on the left side but the ball was too far for her. Hamano was looking for her second as she found the ball from Aggie Beever-Jones but it went over.
For the final ten minutes of normal time, both teams had their chances. Fran Kirby and Guro Reiten both had chances but had poor connections and did not find the back of the net. Chances from Villa came from Kirsty Hanson as she tried to remove the blues clean sheet. Chances from her were saved, shot over the bar or fired wide.
Two chances from Chelsea came from Substitutes Mayra Ramirez and Erin Cuthbert but both went wide.
Full-time score: Chelsea 3-0 Aston VIlla
What's next for the sides:
Chelsea:
As the blues are still in Champions League action, they next travel to Barcelona at the weekend. They face the Spanish side on Wednesday with kick-off at 12.30pm UK Time.
They then face them in the reverse fixture the following week at Stamford Bridge, before returning to WSL action at the beginning of May.
Aston Villa:
For Aston Villa they next face West Ham at Villa Park, playing on Sunday 28th April with kick-off due to start at 2PM UK time.
This game is the start of the final three as they focus on continuing strong.
By Lauren White
@lozreportssports on instagram
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