Chelsea Women secured a commanding 3-0 victory over West Ham United Women in the Women's Super League on Sunday. The result keeps them second in the table, just two points behind leaders Manchester City after five games.
Melvine Malard opened the scoring seven minutes before halftime. Keira Walsh doubled the advantage with ten minutes remaining, and Maika Hamano added a third late on to complete the scoreline.
Dominant display
Sonia Bompastor's side controlled the contest from the outset, enjoying 66 percent of possession and registering 21 attempts on goal. West Ham, managed by Rehanne Skinner, failed to record a single shot on target throughout the 90 minutes. Chelsea's defensive solidity this season was again on show, with the team having conceded just one goal in the league campaign.
Walsh's goal, her second of the season, was assisted by Wieke Kaptein, who had earlier been shown a yellow card for dissent. Bompastor utilised her squad depth, making five substitutions including the introduction of Lexi Potter at the break for Sjoeke Nüsken.
The win extends Chelsea's unbeaten start to the WSL season to five matches, with four wins and a draw. They have now scored 12 goals while maintaining the league's best defensive record. This recent form, with four consecutive victories, has been built on scoring goals at key moments, with Malard's opener coming in the 38th minute and Walsh's key second arriving in the 80th minute to secure the points.
Chelsea Women's next match is a home fixture against fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur on October 18.
