FA WSL Match Report - Chelsea 6 Yeovil Town 0

Chelsea 6 Yeovil Town 0

Crystal Dunn, Karen Carney and Eniola Aluko netted a brace apiece as Chelsea Ladies struck six past Yeovil Town at Kingsmeadow.
The Blues picked up where we left off before the international break with our fourth win from four FA Women’s Super League matches since the start of the first winter season and it was our second 6-0 victory in three WSL1 matches at Kingsmeadow.
Four of the goals came in the first half, with Dunn netting close-range finishes either side of a thumping effort by Aluko and a header from Carney. The latter netted an absolute screamer after the break and then Chelsea's No9 steered home a volley to secure a resounding victory which raised our positive goal difference to 19, having also preserved our 100 per cent clean sheet record.
There was no denying which side were expected to prevail on paper in this top-versus-bottom encounter, with our newly-promoted opponents yet to trouble the scoresheet in their first full season at this level. Chelsea never underestimated the importance of their task, however, and displayed high standards throughout a game teeming with chances.
Emma Hayes opted for a more offensive version of the back-three formation deployed so far in our perfect start to the season, featuring six changes to the side which starred in our dramatic win over Bayern Munich.
Carly Telford became the third player to keep goal for the Blues at this early stage in the campaign behind our regular defensive line of Millie Bright, Gilly Flaherty and Magdalena Eriksson. Our skipper Katie Chapman filled a deep-lying midfield role while Hannah Blundell and Dunn, coming in for our rested topscorer Maren Mjelde, operated down the wings. It was a first start of the autumn for Aluko, playing alongside Carney, Ji So-Yun and Erin Cuthbert as part of an entirely fresh front four.

A twinkle-toed run by Erin Cuthbert helped set up Crystal Dunn's opener

The Blues were already threatening one minute into the match as Cuthbert headed wide from a peach of a cross by Dunn. The duo were so dominant on the left that every attack turned into a chance, and it was the American who opened the scoring with a tap-in after Cuthbert danced through the defence.
We formed an almost constant presence inside the visiting penalty area and comfortably exchanged passes as Aluko, in particular, used her strength to forge plenty of space. The Chelsea striker twice had shots blocked by Megan Walsh inside five minutes before rifling home with only the goalkeeper to beat.
The league leaders earned further rewards for our confident build-up around 20 minutes when Carney powered a pinpoint pass from Dunn past Walsh at the far post for our third of the day. The supplier was back on the scoresheet moments later, turning in a rebound after a strike by Ji was impressively saved.

Eniola Aluko smashed a shot past Megan Walsh to give Chelsea a two-goal lead

Walsh, a former back-up keeper to Telford at Notts County, was by far the major figure for the Yeovil, with Chelsea threatening to add to our lead from every attack. Ji nearly pulled off a cheeky chip into the far corner after two defenders collided shortly before half-time. Aluko came close to offering the boisterous home fans more reasons to smile when her deflected shot cannoned off the post.

A powerful header from Karen Carney put the Blues 3-0 up

Though we did not have Glovers on the ropes like in the first period, the goals kept coming for Chelsea after the interval. Dunn was inches away from her hat-trick after turning a cross from Carney onto the woodwork. Carney needed no invitation to score her second from miles out on the hour mark as the England international let rip from the left flank and fired into the far corner out of nowhere.

Crystal Dunn slots home her second goal of the game

Aluko completed a hat-trick of braces for seasoned Chelsea forwards, shattering the net with a brilliantly timed volley from a Carney free-kick. On the weekend England goes into daylight saving time, the Blues looked keen to turn the clock back to the WSL Spring Series with another 6-0 victory over Yeovil.
Our flawless record so far, including two more six-goal wins from September against Bristol City and Sunderland and a comfortable defeat of Liverpool, leaves the Blues level with Man City at the top of the WSL1 table.

Chelsea Ladies are on a tight schedule for the first half of November involving five matches in two weeks, starting with three cup ties. Next up are trips to Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday and Bristol City on Saturday for our opening group games in the Continental Tyres Cup. We will then return to Kingsmeadow for the first leg of our Champions League showdown with Rosengård, which kicks off at 7.05pm on Wednesday 8 November.

Karen Carney scored the pick of the goals with a stunning strike from distance

Chelsea (3-3-2-2) Telford; Bright, Flaherty, Eriksson (Rafferty 64); Blundell (Davison 65), Chapman (c) (Bachmann 74), Dunn; Carney, Ji; Cuthbert, Aluko
Unused subs Spencer, Thorisdottir, Mjelde, Kirby
Scorers Dunn 8, 22, Aluko 18, 69, Carney 20, 63
Booked Bright 66

Yeovil Town Walsh (c), Cousins, Gemma Evans, Jackson, Georgia Evans, Jones, Lloyd, Lawrence, Green, Pusey (Melton 82), Aldridge (Burridge 59)
Unused subs Lambe, Howard, Miles, Hignett, Buxton

Crowd 1,821

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