That\u2019s all for tonight<\/strong>; I\u2019ll leave you with Tom Garry\u2019s blog. Thanks for your company!<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Chelsea reaction<\/p>\n Aggie Beever-Jones<\/strong><\/p>\n Ellie put it [the first goal] on a plate for me; she was outstanding. We had a good pre-season and we\u2019re delighted to start with a win.<\/p>\n I\u2019m just trying to build on last season. There\u2019s still a lot to improve but being in a world-class team is so helpful. I\u2019ve been working on my hold-up play a lot.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Ellie Carpenter<\/strong><\/p>\n We played with a back five which allowed me to get up more in attack. We\u2019ve worked a lot in training on getting early crosses in behind; Aggie made a great run and tapped it in so it made me look good!<\/p>\n Pre-season was hard \u2013 it\u2019s actually my first full pre-season \u2013 but it was really nice to create those relationships with the team. Being new to the environment, you can see the winning mentality from day one.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.48 EDT<\/p>\n There are some pretty dejected faces in the Man City squad as they quietly applaud their travelling fans away to our left, and you sense the mood is related to those two injuries late in the game just as much as it is to the scoreline. Chelsea, meanwhile, gather in a huge circle with all of their staff while Freed From Desire and then London Calling ring around the stadium. The champions are up and running – again.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Full time: Chelsea 2-1 Manchester City<\/p>\n Chelsea\u2019s bid for a seventh straight title begins with a hard-fought victory over Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. Their new right-back Ellie Carpenter was outstanding, particularly in attack, and made the first goal for Aggie Beever-Jones.<\/p>\n Maika Hamano made it two in the second half before Niamh Charles\u2019 own goal gave City hope. There was plenty of encouragement overall for City, who made Chelsea work extremely hard and probably deserved a draw. But they lost Alex Greenwood and Lily Murphy to injury; the latter could be out for a while.<\/p>\n Chelsea\u2019s Millie Bright (centre) high-fives teammate Oriane Jean-Francois (left) as Aggie Beever-Jones looks on following their victory over Manchester City. Photograph: Maja Hitij\/WSL\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.46 EDT<\/p>\n 90+12 min <\/strong>Murphy is now being stretchered round the perimeter of the field. City have used all their subs so will be down to 10 players for the last few seconds.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 90+11 min <\/strong>Murphy is still receiving treatment. We haven\u2019t seen a replay so it\u2019s not clear what happened \u2013 I think she landed awkwardly after being challenged by a Chelsea defender.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 90+9 min <\/strong>Sky are not showing pictures of Murphy receiving treatment, which is never a good sign. That treatment is apparently ongoing. It\u2019s a desperately sad way to start the season.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.28 EDT<\/p>\n 90+6 min <\/strong>City\u2019s young winger Lily Murphy is in a lot of pain; I fear she may have dislocated her shoulder. Play continued for a while with the Chelsea keeper Hannah Hampton frantically waving for the physios to come onto the field.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.25 EDT<\/p>\n 90+4 min: City substitution <\/strong>Alex Greenwood is down and looks like she has pulled or tweaked something. She walks off to be replaced by Leila Ouahabi.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 90 min <\/strong>Nobody is happy to start the season with a defeat but there are a lot of positives for City to take from this game even if it does end in defeat. Apart from a 20-minute spell in the first half, City have been at least the equals of Chelsea.<\/p>\n They have five added minutes<\/strong> in which to find an equaliser.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 86 min: Chelsea substitution <\/strong>Sjoeke Nusken replaces Wieke Kaptein, who made what could be the decisive second goal for Chelsea.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 85 min: City substitution <\/strong>The Swiss international Iman Beney comes on for Vivianne Miedema.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 83 min <\/strong>Murphy, who has switched wings with Hemp, floats a curler from the edge of the area that is pushed away a little unconvincingly by the diving Hampton. The rebound bounces awkwardly in front of Greenwood, who can\u2019t get a shot away.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 82 min <\/strong>Lots of City pressure now. A draw wouldn\u2019t flatter them given the balance of play, particularly in the second half.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 79 min <\/strong>Shaw, who is desperate to score, smashes an excellent shot from the right edge of the area that goes just over the bar. Hampton probably had it covered, though she was at full stretch and looked a bit concerned.<\/p>\n Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw reacts after seeing her shot go over the bar. Photograph: John Walton\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.24 EDT<\/p>\n 78 min: Substitution for City <\/strong>Laura Blindkilde Brown replaces Sydney Lohmann.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 77 min: Double substitution for Chelsea <\/strong>Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Oriane Jean-Francois come on for Erin Cuthbert, who has an unspecified injury, and Sandy Baltimore.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 75 min <\/strong>Hemp, who has had a superb second half, makes ground down the right, then moves infield and finds Shaw. She turns and shoots from 25 yards; it\u2019s straight at Hampton.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 74 min <\/strong>Carpenter is fouled just outside the area by Murphy. Baltimore\u2019s free-kick leads to a scramble in the City area, with Macario\u2019s shot blocked and Walsh slicing the rebound off target from 15 yards.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 72 min <\/strong>Charles makes partial amends with a crucial interception to stop Shaw\u2019s pass finding Hemp, who would have been clean through on goal.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>GOAL! Chelsea 2-1 Man City (Charles og 70)<\/p>\n City are back in it. Greenwood arcs a dangerous free-kick from the right wing that is shouldered into het own net by the unsighted Charles. The ball may have brushed the head of Prior just in front of her; either way Charles couldn\u2019t react quickly enough and diverted it past Hampton.<\/p>\n Chelsea’s Niamh Charles (left) scores an own goal and Manchester City’s first. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge\/Action Images\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.06 EDT<\/p>\n 70 min <\/strong>\u201cI can only imagine all MBM writers have \u2018 City midfielder [insert name] is booked for a tactical foul\u2019 (56 min) ready to paste at all times,\u201d writes Matt Dony. \u201cThis joke was brought to you from 2018.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 68 min <\/strong>Hemp scurries away from Charles and cuts the ball back towards Shaw at the near post. She has her back to goal so lays it off to Miedema, whose stinging shot is blocked.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 67 min <\/strong>Lily Murphy runs at Carpenter, shifts the ball onto her right foot and whips a nice cross-shot that flashes a few yards wide of the far post.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Man City (Hamano 64)<\/p>\n And just like that, Chelsea put the game to bed (probably). Wieke Kaptein surges down the right, onto a good first-time flick from Macario, and slides a low cross back towards Macario. She misses her kick but the tireless Maika Hamano is waiting behind her to screw a first-time shot into the net.<\/p>\n Maika Hamano slots the ball home to double Chelsea\u2019s lead against Manchester City. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge\/Action Images\/ReutersWhich she is pleased about \u2026 Photograph: Andrew Couldridge\/Action Images\/ReutersAnd celebrates with a knee slide. Photograph: Justin Setterfield\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.00 EDT<\/p>\n 62 min <\/strong>A loose pass from Prior is intercepted by Carpenter, who charges straight into the City area and is about to shoot when Yamashita dives at her feet to claim.<\/p>\n Chelsea’s Ellie Carpenter puts the burners on to go past Manchester City’s Sydney Lohmann. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge\/Action Images\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.59 EDT<\/p>\n 61 min: Chelsea substitution <\/strong>Beever-Jones breaks that sequence with a driven shot that goes high and wide. It\u2019s her last contribution: she is replaced by Catarina Macario.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 59 min <\/strong>A good stat on Sky: since Beever-Jones\u2019 goal, all nine attempts at goal have been from City.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 56 min <\/strong>City midfielder Sydney <\/strong>Lohmann is booked for a tactical foul.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>54 min: Just wide by Hasegawa<\/p>\n City are all over Chelsea at the moment. A deft touch from Shaw releases Hemp, whose early goal is flicked just wide by Hasegawa. It was a neat bit of improvisation, a first-time flick behind her front leg, but it drifted past the far post.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.45 EDT<\/p>\n 52 min <\/strong>Greenwood\u2019s corner is headed wide by Shaw, under pressure at the far post.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 49 min <\/strong>Casparij\u2019s cross from the right is headed away to the edge of the area. Hasegawa runs onto the ball and hits a technically superb volley that is beaten away by Hampton. It was straight at her but well struck.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 46 min <\/strong>No changes on either side at the break.<\/p>\n\n
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![\"Tom](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Tom_Garry.png\")
Tom Garry<\/p>\n