0-1 v Chelsea FC - 12 October 2025 - Away

A determined, resolute defensive display was punctured once at Kingsmeadow - and that was enough for Chelsea to take the Women's Super League points on Sunday.

The bare facts of Chelsea's 27 efforts at goal and 67 touches in our box don't really tell the story as Lize Kop was rarely seriously threatened. That was down to our defensive structure and willingness for players to throw themselves in front of the ball - of those 27 efforts, only four hit the target.

In the end, a moment of magic from midfielder Keira Walsh made the difference. In a yard of space 30 yards out, Walsh switched onto her right foot and drilled beyond Kop into the far corner, extending the WSL title holders unbeaten run to 26 matches.

Meanwhile, our impressive start under Martin Ho in the WSL now reads four wins in six matches.

Both teams made changes going into the derby. Martin Ho made two with Olga Ahtinen and Matilda Vinberg in for Drew Spence and Olivia Holdt. Molly Bartrip was on the bench for the first time this season after injury. Sonia Bompastore switched it up for Chelsea with seven changes - Hannah Hampton, Nathalie Bjorn, Keira Walsh, Erin Cuthbert, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Wieke Kaptein and Niamh Charles all back in.

Chelsea dominated possession and territory in the first half - 45 touches in our box, 13 corners, a WSL high - but we held firm - and the interesting stat at the end of the first half was that we had two shots on target to Chelsea's one.

Those efforts came from Tinka Tandberg, her shot blocked after Vinberg's drive forward and Eveliina Summanen, a 20-yard free-kick straight at Hannah Hampton.

Chelsea had 15 efforts, yet failed to seriously trouble Lize Kop. Her best save was a brave dive at the feet of Aggy Beever-Jones on 23 minutes and a clean take from Millie Bright's free-kick on 38. Otherwise, the lively Alyssa Thompson curled wide, Bright's goalbound header from one of the 13 corners was blocked and Chelsea's best chance, Rytting Kaneryd missing a header in front of goal from Ellie Carpenter's cross in added time.

The second half followed a similar pattern with us defending doggedly as Chelsea piled on the pressure. Now, though, the home side started to create better chances - Bright nudged Erin Cuthbert's corner just over and Kop parried away Thompson's curler diving to her left. Thompson was denied by Ashleigh Neville's block and Kop clawed away Bright's header - but then Chelsea broke the deadlock...

After all the possession in and around the box, it took something special to beat Kop, provided by Walsh's fierce low drive into the corner beyond the goalkeeper from 30 yards.

We had a glimpse of goal 10 minutes later when Vinberg chased a ball over the top and blocked Hampton's clearance with the goalkeeper way out of her area. Bright bundled Vinberg over and was booked. Vinberg struck the free-kick into the wall.

Sam Kerr nodded Cuthbert's free-kick just wide with five minutes remaining and that was that for the chances.