Chelsea stay top of UWCL group with dominant 6-1 win: Five things we learned | OneFootball

Chelsea continued their impressive winning streak with a dominant 6-1 win over FC Twente in the Women’s Champions League.

The Blues opened the scoring early on through Catarina Macario, whose looping attempt in the second minute found the back of Olivia Clark’s net.

Kayleigh Van Dooren equalized for the Dutch side in the 29th minute, after Charlotte Hulst was brought down in the box by Maika Hamano.

The WSL champions were quick to respond, taking the lead just one minute later, this time through new signing Oriane Jean-Francois’s deflected effort. Mayra Ramirez doubled Chelsea’s lead five minutes later with a brilliant chipped attempt from 30 yards out.

The Blues capped off their dominant first-half performance with another goal in the 38th minute when Anna Knol bundled in Erin Cuthbert’s shot into her own net.

Chelsea continued their domination in the second half, with Sjoeke Nusken scoring in the 47th minute and Eve Perisset capping off a great night with a goal in the 85th minute.

Here are five things we learned:

Bompastor can’t stop winning

Sonia Bompastor’s perfect start at Chelsea continued, with the Blues winning their 14th consecutive game under their new manager. Bompastor extended her newly broken club-record winning streak and will be hoping to end 2024 unbeaten, with just two games left to play. Last year’s Champions League semi-finalists are looking like formidable contenders to go all the way this season, and the French manager deserves huge credit for the way her side are playing.

Niamh Charles’ first start

Niamh Charles made her first start of the season after making her long-awaited return to action in Sunday’s game against Brighton. The 25-year-old dislocated her shoulder in a pre-season friendly against Feyenoord in September and has now appeared in back-to-back games for the Blues. With Sandy Baltimore out with a knee injury, Charles has an opportunity to build her fitness and win back her spot in the starting lineup.

Jean-Francois grabs first goal

Oriane Jean-Francois netted her first Chelsea goal since joining the Blues in the summer. However, her special night was dampened when she was forced off in the XXX minute with an ankle injury. The 23-year-old midfielder has had to be patient since her arrival as she has worked her way back to full fitness after suffering an ACL injury in October 2023. Having just started to get regular minutes with the Blues, the French midfielder will be hoping that her injury does not keep her out for too long.

Perisset staking her claim

Eve Perisset has made just six appearances this season despite having a strong 2023/24 campaign under former manager Emma Hayes. The arrival of Lucy Bronze has limited the French international’s opportunities so far, but she is proving to her new manager that she still adds value to the side when given the chance. The 29-year-old right-back has now scored in consecutive Champions League games for the first time in her Chelsea career.

Battle for top spot

With both Chelsea and Real Madrid winning their respective games, next week’s clash between the two European giants becomes the decisive game for securing top spot in the group. The Blues are currently top of the group with 15 points, however, Madrid are just three points behind and have a superior goal difference. A win for the Spanish side would see them steal the top spot in the final round of group stage fixtures.