The Lionesses’ shot-stopper kept Sonia Bompastor’s side in the game at times, before the champions showed their quality to battle to victoryChelsea had Hannah Hampton to thank as they started the new Women’s Super League season with back-to-back wins, following up victory over Manchester City on the opening weekend with a 3-1 win at Aston Villa on Sunday. The Blues were not at the races in the first half and watched their No.1, who they signed from Villa two years ago, come up big on numerous occasions to prevent her old club from racing into a comfortable lead. Once the champions had rode that storm out, though, their own quality showed, as an Aggie Beever-Jones header, Keira Walsh’s deflected strike and a goal from Sam Kerr on her long-awaited return gave them a hard-fought win.It all started quite well for Chelsea, who took the lead with 22 minutes on the clock as Catarina Macario made up for an early miss with a great run into the final third, starting a move that ended with Beever-Jones nodding in Ellie Carpenter’s cross. But Villa were a serious threat on the counter and eventually got the goal they deserved when Ebony Salmon fizzed a beautiful strike over the head of Hampton just past the half-hour mark. The game started to get away from Chelsea from there, as Salmon had a couple of huge opportunities, with Kirsty Hanson also having a great look at goal. Fortunately for the visitors, though, Hampton stood tall and got them into the break with the scores level.Once there, Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor didn’t hesitate. A triple-substitution was made ahead of the second half kicking-off and it made all the difference, as Erin Cuthbert helped wrestle back control of the game in midfield and Alyssa Thompson, the Blues’ blockbuster deadline-day signing, enjoyed a lively debut out wide. The momentum had swung firmly back into the favour of the title holders and a goal was clearly coming, though it would be a fortunate one when it did arrive, as Walsh’s wayward strike was deflected on target and into the back of her own goal by an unlucky Missy Bo Kearns.However, the most memorable contribution from a substitute would come in the dying moments, when Kerr, making her first appearance for 634 days due to an awful knee injury, got her moment in the sun. Just a few minutes prior, she had shown some shyness in front of goal, passing to Beever-Jones despite being six yards out and in prime position to score herself, but there would be no such hesitation in stoppage time as the striker stabbed at a loose ball from a corner and sent it beyond Ellie Roebuck, producing heart-warming scenes to cap off a day that had been frustrating at times for Chelsea, but ultimately ended in them getting the three points they came for.GOAL rates Chelsea’s players from Villa Park…
