Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor expressed disappointment over her team’s defensive performance during their thrilling 4-3 victory against Aston Villa in the Women’s Super League (WSL).
The match featured six goals within a frenetic first 35 minutes, with Villa initially taking the lead courtesy of Chasity Grant. Chelsea responded vigorously, netting three goals in just seven minutes to establish a 3-1 advantage, only for Villa to fight back with a brace from Kirsty Hanson.
In the second half, Chelsea continued to press for a winner, which arrived in the 82nd minute when Sjoeke Nüsken finished a well-crafted move inside the penalty area.
This marked Chelsea’s second successive match in which they conceded three goals, following their 3-1 loss to Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal last week.
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Last season, Barcelona were the only team to score three goals against Chelsea (in both legs of their Champions League semifinal). This season, however, Villa became the third team to net three or more goals against the Blues across all competitions.
“The most important thing was securing the win today. Villa put up a strong fight; they scored first, and I was pleased with our reaction, coming from 1-0 down to score three goals in the first half,” Bompastor stated in her post-match interview with Sky Sports.
“Honestly, it’s not good enough to concede three goals. Villa only had three shots on target and scored all three in the first half, so we need to improve defensively. Nonetheless, we found a way to clinch the victory.”
Securing all three points was crucial for Chelsea’s European qualification aspirations, propelling them to second place with only three matches remaining.
The battle for Champions League qualification is set to go down to the wire, with Chelsea facing Manchester United on the final day of the season, where Marc Skinner’s side currently trails the Blues by two points.
“The winning goal was pivotal for us. You could sense the relief,” Bompastor remarked.
“At this moment, we are focused on clinching a Champions League spot, and this victory is immensely significant for us.”