Two Lionesses took centre stage at different ends of the pitch as the Blues beat the Seagulls in a chaotic clash on Sunday
Just five days after making her first Lionesses start, Aggie Beever-Jones' great week continued on Sunday as she scored in Chelsea's 4-2 win over Brighton. It was by no means as straight-forward as that scoreline might suggest, with the Seagulls creating plenty of big chances to put the reigning Women's Super League champions under pressure, but some big saves from Hannah Hampton helped the hosts to a victory that keeps them five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table, even if the goalkeeper sometimes created her own problems.
It was an error-strewn game for both sides, with some loose possession from Chelsea midfielder Sjoeke Nusken presenting Nikita Parris and then Jelena Cankovic with huge opportunities early on, albeit ones neither could take. That set the tone for the entire afternoon, with three of the six goals at Kingsmeadow coming from mistakes on the ball. The first allowed Nusken herself to give the hosts the lead, as Cankovic, a former Blue, was guilty of a loose touch in a dangerous area, while Beever-Jones was able to tackle Brighton goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley in her own six-yard box to double that advantage.
It never looked like things would be smooth sailing for Chelsea though. Their opponents continued to create and finally got the better of Hampton just before the break, after Parris teed up Cankovic. When the Blues re-established that two-goal cushion shortly after half time, Lucy Bronze's saved shot bouncing in off the unknowing Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Brighton hit back again, with Kiko Seike, denied brilliantly in the first half, punishing Hampton for a sloppy pass.
It was all set up for a dramatic finish then, and when Michelle Agyemang put Seike through late on, it looked like that finish would involve a Brighton equaliser and the end of Sonia Bompastor's 100 per cent start to life as Chelsea boss. However, a combination of cool composure from Hampton and quite the opposite from the Japan star kept the Blues ahead, while Nusken managed to direct Catarina Macario's stoppage time corner into the back of the net to make sure they maintained their unbeaten record.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Kingsmeadow…
Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence
Hannah Hampton (6/10):
Made some terrific saves, especially the one to deny Seike in the first half. Did present two of those big chances to Brighton with poor passes though, including the one Seike took.
Lucy Bronze (6/10):
There was much more emphasis on her defending and she stuck to her task well, making a number of important interventions. A chance to get forward early in the second half should've probably seen her get on the scoresheet, but her effort led to the third goal at least.
Millie Bright (6/10):
Had her work cut out at times as the conditions made things tricky, but did well overall.
Nathalie Bjorn (6/10):
A couple of sloppy moments on the ball early on, then grew into the game and improved.
Ashley Lawrence (5/10):
A little too loose in possession as she struggled to make her usually consistent impact on the game. Replaced at half time.
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Erin Cuthbert (5/10):
Some surprisingly poor moments for a player who usually does little wrong.
Wieke Kaptein (4/10):
Lost the ball too often and was taken off at half time.
Sjoeke Nusken (5/10):
A really error-strewn game from the midfielder, who at least made up for some of those mistakes with a goal.
Getty ImagesAttack
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (5/10):
Missed a huge first half chance one-on-one, having done everything right to get in behind, but then was in the right place at the right time to benefit from a huge slice of luck in the second half.
Aggie Beever-Jones (7/10):
Had some nice moments, including a smart pass that put Rytting Kaneryd through, and was rewarded for her hard work with a goal.
Guro Reiten (6/10):
A quieter game from a player in such great form, though her set pieces still caused problems and created chances.
Getty ImagesSubs & Manager
Niamh Charles (6/10):
Made her return from injury as a half time sub and added more to Chelsea's attack down the left.
Catarina Macario (7/10):
Another introduction at the break, she made an immediate impact, with her fantastic cross creating Chelsea's third goal.
Mayra Ramirez (6/10):
Added plenty of energy in attack and was so close to a goal only a few minutes after coming on, when her header hit the post.
Oriane Jean-Francois (N/A):
On in stoppage time.
Sonia Bompastor (7/10):
Was little she could do from the dugout about the errors her team were making, though perhaps a little more pragmatism could be taken. Stuck to her guns, though, made impactful substitutions and ensured Chelsea emerged with all three points.