By Match report as Chelsea began their latest WSL title defence with a crucial victory over rivals Man City; goals from Aggie Beever-Jones and Maika Hamano got the job done; Niamh Charles scored an own goal to make for a nervy end at Stamford Bridge
On an entertaining opening night – where Chelsea introduced their new £1m signing Alyssa Thompson before kick-off and welcomed Sam Kerr back to the fold – the Blues scored two slick goals either side of the break, similar in nature, to secure Sonia Bompastor a record-breaking 20th WSL win.
The Frenchwoman becomes the quickest manager in the competition’s history to reach that total, despite being pushed all the way by dogged City, who played aggressively in the style of new head coach Andree Jeglertz and forced Niamh Charles into an awkward own goal which made for a nervy end.
Chelsea’s new signing Ellie Carpenter assisted Aggie Beever-Jones who scored the first goal of the 2025/26 WSL at Stamford Bridge
Before that, Bunny Shaw had squandered a handful of chances, while Yui Hasegawa and Lily Murphy were denied by Chelsea’s faultless goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, as City landed more shots on target and generated a better value than their hosts. Chelsea were in fact reduced to their fewest shots (8) since February 2021.
Maika Hamano scored Chelsea’s second in their Women’s Super League opener against Manchester City.
But, impressively crafted strikes from Aggie Beever-Jones and Maika Hamano were ultimately decisive, ensuring a perfect start for the “efficient” champions at Stamford Bridge – with returning striker Kerr only able to watch on from the sidelines. Their bid for a seventh straight title is officially up and running.
And to make matters worse for City, who will feel as if they deserved a better outcome, both Alex Greenwood and Lily Murphy were lost to injury late on.
Niamh Charles scored an own goal in Chelsea’s Women’s Super League opener against Manchester City.
Chelsea debutant Ellie Carpenter, who assisted Beever-Jones for the game’s opener, told Sky Sports: “Everyone wants to beat Chelsea. Coming into this as a new environment, you can see that winning mentality from day one.
