It was a night all about the club's American stars, with Naomi Girma also making her return to the starting XI after picking up an injury on her debut
Catarina Macario was a thorn in Crystal Palace's side all night as Chelsea moved one step closer to a sixth successive Women's Super League title with a 4-0 win on Wednesday night. The Blues need just four points from their final three games to retain the crown they've held since 2020, with a brace from Macario and first goals after injury for both Guro Reiten and Mia Fishel giving Sonia Bompastor's all three points.
It was a dominant performance from the get-go from Chelsea, who created a ton of chances while giving up none of note at the other end, and once Reiten broke the deadlock from the spot after 22 minutes, they only seemed to get better. Macario doubled the lead two minutes later with a smart finish, then it was her deflected free-kick which made it three – awarded after Allyson Swaby was sent off after bringing Sjoeke Nusken down as she raced through on goal.
It was a performance and a result that will have served as the perfect tonic for Chelsea after the 4-1 battering they were given by Barcelona at the weekend, in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, but it was also a valuable outing for a lot of other reasons. Naomi Girma made her first start after getting injured on her debut, Reiten marked her return to the XI with a goal and Maelys Mpome came back from a quad issue in the second half, too. But the most heart-warming moment of the night was certainly provided by Fishel, who netted a first goal in 15 months after recovering from a devastating ACL tear.
It's unlikely that any of those positives can help Chelsea complete a highly-unlikely comeback in the second leg of their European semi-final on Sunday, with Barca the champions of Europe for the past two seasons for a reason. However, with a WSL title still to be won and a treble likely to be on the line when the Blues face Manchester United in next month's FA Cup final – a feat this team only achieved once in Emma Hayes' illustrious tenure – there's still plenty to play for and, as such, plenty to be encouraged by.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Kingsmeadow…
Goalkeeper & Defence
Hannah Hampton (5/10):
Had very little to do all night. Palace didn't manage a shot on target.
Ashley Lawrence (7/10):
Was a huge asset going forward, linking up nicely with those around her and playing some great passes that kickstarted attacks.
Naomi Girma (6/10):
Nice and settled on her first start since picking up a knock on her debut. Off at half-time but important to get 45 minutes under her belt after injury.
Millie Bright (7/10):
A dominant, commanding display in which she mopped up any Palace attacks.
Niamh Charles (7/10):
Linked effectively with Reiten down the left, in a familiar combo that hasn't been seen much this season due to injuries.
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Oriane Jean-Francois (7/10):
A tidy, comfortable display in which she positioned herself well and also won plenty of duels.
Sjoeke Nusken (7/10):
Worked really hard in the middle of the park, coming out on top in so many of her individual battles.
Catarina Macario (8/10):
A classy midfield performance, with her regularly picking up the ball in deeper areas and dictating play. Took her first goal well and delivered some deadly set-pieces.
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Sandy Baltimore (7/10):
Relished the chance to play further forward, causing Palace all sorts of problems down the right with her tricky footwork and ability to deliver dangerous crosses with either foot.
Aggie Beever-Jones (6/10):
Didn't have many chances of her own but did a lot of selfless work off the ball to create space and openings for others. Off at the break.
Guro Reiten (7/10):
Encouragingly lively on her first start after a couple of months out injured.
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Mia Fishel (7/10):
Continued her return from an ACL injury with a solid 45 minutes off the bench here. Had some nice moments, including a lovely pass to set up Johanna Rytting Kaneryd for a big chance and, of course, her first goal in 15 months.
Lucy Bronze (6/10):
Had a few shaky moments after coming on at half-time at centre-back, but did settle. First contact when attacking set-pieces was impactful, most notably for Fishel's goal.
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (6/10):
Had more than half an hour to make an impact and nearly did so with her first touch, only to be denied one-on-one by Yanez. Set the tone for a lively and direct display, though she did lack good decision-making.
Maika Hamano (6/10):
Introduced at the same time as Rytting Kaneryd. Not her liveliest performance but she still nearly scored late on, but for an alert save from Yanez.
Maelys Mpome (6/10):
Made a valuable return from injury in the final 20 minutes. Calm, composed and good on the ball.
Sonia Bompastor (8/10):
About as good a night as she could've asked for. In between the two legs of that Champions League semi-final, she rotated her team plenty and it was not costly at all. Instead, it gave recently-injured players a chance to get valuable minutes in their legs and, in the cases of Reiten and Fishel, even some goals to boost their confidence. Was able to take players like Bright off for a rest as well, which was important.