James stars as five-star Chelsea defeat Liverpool

Photo: Chelsea Women

Lauren James shone as Emma Hayes’ Chelsea stormed to their sixth win in the WSL on Saturday afternoon as they beat Liverpool 5-1 at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea started from the off as the better team with their first chance of the game came two minutes in, Lauren James glided through the Reds’ defence, she found Niamh Charles who’s shot was blocked and went out for a corner. Nothing came of the corner.

It didn’t take long for the hosts to take the lead though, Sophie Ingle played a sublime ball to James who finished it cooly and calmly to open the scoring.

Liverpool bounced back almost immediately though, Shanice Van De Sanden played the ball across the goal to find a Liverpool striker but it found the unfortunate shin of Jess Carter and went into the back of the net.

Chelsea retook the lead though on 23 minutes. James put an excellent ball over the top of the Liverpool box and found the head of Aggie Beever-Jones who nodded it in for her fourth goal of the season.

Just over ten minutes into the second half, James made it 3-1. Sam Kerr nudged the ball into James’ path before the Londoner unleashed a rocket of a shot into the bottom right corner.

James was unstoppable and got her hat trick on 64 minutes. An instant impact by substitute Johanna Rytting Kaneyrd who played the ball over to the centre of the area and James with another lovely finish.

The scoring was concluded with 12 minutes to go, Kaneyrd with another assist playing the ball through to the centre of the area, and Sjoeke Nüsken tapped it in.

Teams: CHELSEA (4-1-4-1): Musovic, Périsset, Carter, Charles, Ingle, Beever-Jones, Nüsken, Cuthbert, James, Kerr. Substitutes: Rytting Kaneryd (64’), Lawrence (75’), Fishel (75’), Kirby (81’), Fleming (81’), Hampton, Berger, Nouwen, Buchanan.

Scorers: James 11’, 56’, 64’. Beever-Jones 24’, Nüsken 78.

LIVERPOOL (5-3-2): Laws, Koivisto, Clark, Bonner, Fisk, Hinds, Höbinger, Nagano, Holland, Haug, Van De Sanden. Substitutes: Kearns (46’), Parry (74’), Kiernan (74’), Lawley (86’).

Scorer: Carter (OG) 13’.

Referee: Kirsty Dowle.

Attendance: 12,802.