Chelsea Wins 2-1 Over Manchester City Opening WSL Season

Chelsea began their defense of the Women's Super League (WSL) title with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. Aggie Beever-Jones opened the scoring in the first half, followed by Maika Hamano doubling Chelsea's lead in the second half before Niamh Charles' own goal brought City back into contention. Despite Manchester City's dominance in possession and attempts on goal, including hitting the crossbar and taking 17 shots to Chelsea's eight, they were unable to break Chelsea's resilience, with goalkeeper Hannah Hampton making key saves. Chelsea's manager Sonia Bompastor continues to impress, having achieved 20 WSL wins in her first 23 matches and maintaining an unbeaten streak of 26 league games. The match also featured notable performances from Chelsea's Ellie Carpenter and challenges for City, who suffered late injuries to Alex Greenwood and Lily Murphy. This opening match underscores Chelsea's stronghold in the league, even as Manchester City remains a formidable challenger.