Chelsea lost their first game of the season, thanks to an individual showcase by Sunderland’s striker, Beth Mead. She scored a second half hat-trick before her team added a fourth late on.
Hedvig Lindahl started in goal, with Hannah Blundell, Niamh Fahey, Gilly Flaherty and Claire Rafferty making up the backline. Katie Chapman captained the side next to Millie Bright in midfield; Ana Borges, Gemma Davison and Ji So-yun attacking, with Eni Aluko the lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Sunderland started off the brighter of the two teams, with a lot of early possession. They were defending with 10 in the early stages, not allowing anything to come from Chelsea’s attempted attacks.
The first real chance fell to Irish international Steph Roche, who tried one of her trademark flicks and volleys from the edge of the box, but her effort was straight at Lindahl.
Borges was winning the ball back in midfield a lot, but nothing came from her many crosses.
Both Flaherty and Fahey were involved in tussles with Mead in the first half, the Sunderland striker going down easily. There was a clash of heads between Fahey and Mead, but both recovered quickly.
When Chelsea were able to find Davison on the left wing, they created a lot more chances. The first saw her cut inside and shoot with her right foot, but Hilde Gunn Olsen tipped the shot round the post for a corner.
Aluko appeared to be through on goal just minutes later, but an excellent recovery tackle by Victoria Williams prevented a goalscoring opportunity.
The next moment of incident saw Flaherty go in late for an aerial challenge on Mead, and both players went down. After a lengthy delay of about five minutes, both were able to continue.
Chelsea started sending in more crosses, from Rafferty, Davison and Borges, but nobody could get the elusive goal.
It looked as if Bright had opened the scoring after she redirected one of Borges’ crosses, and Olsen appeared to carry the ball over the line, but the ref called a foul against the Chelsea player.
Blundell was the first player in the book after going in late on their left midfielder; a harsh call given that it was her first foul.
An even half came to a close, with the score still tied at 0-0.
Chelsea started well with a free-kick from a dangerous position, but Ji hit it straight at the ‘keeper.
It was Sunderland midfielder Brooke Chaplen that had the best chance of the opening exchanges, firing over from the top of the box, despite being totally unmarked.
The first goal of the game took everyone by surprise, as Mead took advantage of an awkward bounce in midfield, running through one-on-one, and knocking the ball past Lindahl – the first time Chelsea have been behind all season.
Emma Hayes made a quick substitution, bringing on Marija Banusic for Blundell. Borges dropped into right back, with Aluko going wide, and Banusic up front.
Chapman was then booked for a foul in midfield, preventing a Sunderland breakaway.
It wasn’t long before Mead scored again, in a very similar fashion to the first. The ball bounced awkwardly through the middle and Fahey got wrong-sided by Mead, who again ran through and slotted into the bottom corner.
Bright was the next player to be subbed off, as Drew Spence was introduced.
Sunderland started to get more aggressive as they tried to see the game out; Banusic getting caught in the face went unpunished, before Fahey was fouled by Mead. Sunderland defender Abby Holmes went in the book for a late challenge on Borges.
Chelsea thought they were on the way to a comeback when an excellent through ball by Banusic was finished cooly by Aluko, but the linesman had waved for offside.
The Blues continued to go close, as a shot by Banusic was fumbled by Olsen, and Ji’s rebound was blocked off the line by a defender.
Excellent last ditch defending from a combination of Flaherty and Rafferty led to a Sunderland corner. The ball was swung in, before taking a deflection off someone’s head, and bouncing off the post back into the danger area – and who else but Beth Mead to tap in the rebound, for her and Sunderland’s third.
One of Sunday’s goalscorers, Millie Farrow, came on for her second appearance of the season, to replace Aluko.
With the game all but won, Mead still wanted more; Lindahl had to make a phenomenal diving save to keep out a blistering effort.
Rafferty had a half chance to get the Blues on the board, but her shot sailed well over the bar. Sunderland were punished for excessive time wasting, the ref reverting a throw-in decision in Chelsea’s favour.
All of Sunderland’s goals had an element of luck to them, but none more than the fourth – the right back Holmes put in a cross looking for the head of Mead, only to see the ball fly straight into the top corner. Unintentional, but still an excellent finish.
Although 4-0 was a flattering scoreline, Sunderland were worthy of the three points.
XI: Lindahl, Blundell (Banusic), Bright (Spence), Flaherty, Fahey, Davison, Aluko (Farrow), Ji, Rafferty, Borges, Chapman
POTM: Gilly Flaherty
The next game is away to Reading in the Continental Cup, on Wednesday 22nd July, at Farnborough FC.
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