Chelsea Women 2, Manchester City Women 0 (FA Women’s Community Shield)
Millie Bright’s 30 yard wonder strike helped Chelsea lift the Community Shield at Wembley after Manchester City had Jill Scott sent off.
City were already disrupted by the early loss of winger Lauren Hemp to injury and rode their luck as Chelsea failed to punish their mistakes until Jill Scott was given her marching orders after the break.
It was hard on City who had at least forced Ann-Katrin Berger to make saves from Georgia Stanway while Chloe Kelly hit the woodwork before the game changed in the second half.
Chelsea’s Sam Kerr had a day to forget in front of goal but she was bailed out by Millie Bright in the second half before Erin Cuthbert put the cherry on top of a strong Chelsea performance in injury time.
This was the first time the Community Shield had been staged in the Women’s game for 12 years – the first time it was staged at Wembley on the same day as the men’s Charity Shield, and the first meeting of the two sides in a final.
It was the only domestic trophy to evade Chelsea boss Emma Hayes after they won last season’s WSL title on a points per game basis following the cancellation of the season due to Corona Virus.
Gareth Taylor took charge of City for the first time and named new signing Samantha Mewis on the bench with her American team mate Rose Lavelle still in quarantine and unable to play in this game – the first in top flight women’s football in England since February.
Fran Kirby returned from nine months out with an undiagnosed bout of pericarditis last season while Australian Kerr started up front for Chelsea with new midfielder Melanie Leupolz starting after joining from Bayern Munich.
Chelsea deservedly won a game loaded with chances for both sides – Kerr went clear for Chelsea six times but couldn’t force a save from Ellie Roebuck as each effort was off target.
City had shaken off early nerves to see chances for Stanway saved while Kelly hit the woodwork and found Janine Beckie in an offside position with her tapped-in goal chalked off immediately.
Beckie had come on for Lauren Hemp who had gone off with a hamstring injury after just 25 minutes and City were perhaps lucky to escape punishment by Kerr following mistakes in midfield as Chelsea fashioned a string of chances on the break for their Australian striker only to see her waste all of them.
The Londoners were also denied by some tight offside calls while Stanway fired wide after Jill Scott put her clean through in the second half.
Scott was then sent off for a second bookable offence after a challenge on Chelsea’s Ji So-Yun leaving City with ten players with 28 minutes to go.
And Chelsea duly took the lead after 66 minutes when Millie Bright sent in a powerful dipping flighted strike which beat Roebuck from 30 yards out after Ji squared the ball to her.
It was her first goal since last November and the goal prompted Gareth Taylor to make a change with Sam Mewis coming on for Caroline Weir.
The American had some good touches but it was always going to be a rearguard action against Chelsea with just ten players.
Bethany England was denied by Gemma Bonner and Steph Houghton, the Chelsea striker also blazed over as Chelsea looked for a second.
Leupolz skied the ball while Ji twice tested Roebuck as Chelsea upped a gear after England and Cuthbert came on for Kirby and Kerr.
Stanway had been playing in midfield since the departure of Scott but made way for Ellen White with just 7 minutes to go but Cuthbert finished off City in injury time with a drilled shot powered into the roof of the net after Houghton half cleared Maren Mjelde’s right wing cross.
GOALS – Chelsea Women 2, Manchester City Women 0
Chelsea 1, Manchester City 0: 66. Millie Bright sent in a powerful dipping flighted strike which beat Roebuck from 30 yards out after Ji squared the ball to her.
Chelsea 2, Manchester City 0: 90+1. Erin Cuthbert’s drilled shot powered into the roof of the net after Steph Houghton half cleared Maren Mjelde’s right wing cross.
MATCH STATS – Chelsea Women 2, Manchester City Women 0
Chelsea Women: Berger, Mjelde, Bright, Eriksson Andersson (Fleming 90+3), Leupolz, Ingle, Ji, Kirby (Cuthbert 72), Reiten (Charles 89), Kerr (England 72)
Chelsea Women Subs Not Used: Telford, Thorisdottir, Blundell, Carter, Spence
Goals: Bright 66; Cuthbert 90+1
Man City Women: Roebuck, Morgan, Houghton, Bonner, Stokes, Walsh, Scott, Weir (Mewis 68), Kelly, Hemp (Beckie 26), Stanway (White 83)
Man City Women Subs not used: Bardsley, Benameur-Taieb, Campbell, Coombs, Park
Booked: Scott 32 (foul on Ji So-Yun)
Sent Off: Scott 62 (second bookable offence following another foul on Ji So-Yun).