What's Going Wrong For Chelsea In The Wsl?

Chelsea group a caller grounds connected Sunday for nan longest unbeaten tally successful Women's Super League history - but location was small origin for ceremony for nan Blues.

Despite going 34 games unbeaten, Sonia Bompastor's broadside were near disappointed arsenic bottom-placed Liverpool held connected for a 1-1 draw.

It was nan 2nd week successful a statement that Chelsea dropped points and nan first clip since January 2022 that they had grounded to triumph back-to-back convention games.

As a result, nan six-time defending champions beryllium 3 points down leaders Manchester City successful nan WSL table.

"A tie isn't bully capable for them and moreover erstwhile nan last whistle went I was looking astatine their assemblage connection and they were truthful disappointed," erstwhile Scotland and Arsenal defender Jen Beattie said connected nan Women's Football Weekly podcast.

"We tin talk astir records being group and unbeaten successful this magnitude of games, but yet if you're not winning them you're dropping points and that's not wherever they want to be."

Opta's Supercomputer, which had seen Chelsea retaining their title successful 72.4% of their simulations earlier nan play started, now gives them a 50.84% chance of lifting a seventh successive trophy.

While astir teams would relish sitting 2nd successful nan WSL array pinch 21 points, it has been an underwhelming commencement to nan play by Chelsea's precocious standards.

But what's going incorrect for Bompastor's team? And tin different nine yet bring an extremity to their era of power successful nan WSL?

Chelsea ended past play arsenic WSL, FA Cup and League Cup champions and they mislaid conscionable 3 games retired of 40 successful Bompastor's first run successful charge, pinch those defeats coming successful nan Champions League.

Bompastor's Blues person yet to suffer conclusion this season, but they surely aren't reaching nan heights of past term.

They person already dropped nan aforesaid magnitude of points (six) arsenic they did crossed nan full of past season.

Defensively they look sound and person nan champion grounds successful nan league, pinch only 5 goals conceded successful their opening 9 games - 4 less than immoderate different team.

That said, nan extremity scored by Liverpool connected Sunday was avoidable. Captain Millie Bright was subbed disconnected astatine half-time aft being outpaced by Beata Olsson, who covered half nan transportation and converted her one-on-one finish.

"It was disappointing. It was disappointing nan extremity that we conceded, nan capacity each information and nan result. For us, our standards are a batch higher than what we displayed coming connected and disconnected nan ball," Bright told Sky Sports afterwards.

Speaking to Chelsea's website, Bompastor added: "I'm disappointed astir nan consequence and nan performance. I deliberation coming nan squad were not bully enough."

While Chelsea aren't shipping goals, they're not precisely scoring astatine nan aforesaid complaint arsenic seasons past.

By this constituent past season, Chelsea had scored 30 convention goals. This term, contempt their array of attacking talent, they person recovered nan backmost of nan nett conscionable 16 times, pinch Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal each scoring more.

In their opening 9 games of nan 2024-25 campaign, nan Blues scored 4 aliases much goals connected 4 occasions, compared to conscionable erstwhile this play - a 4-0 triumph complete West Ham.

"It was very un-Chelsea for illustration successful position of nan performance," erstwhile England midfielder Izzy Christiansen said connected Sky Sports pursuing nan tie pinch Liverpool.

"They usually create aggregate chances, for illustration clear-cut chances, per crippled but they didn't find a bully hit aliases bully relationship today."

Beattie believes Chelsea's problems stem from excessively galore changes to nan starting XI.

The Blues person made 25 changes to their starting line-ups successful nan WSL this play - 5 much than immoderate different side.

"They person to support everyone happy and rotate to an extent, but I don't know, I ever felt arsenic a subordinate you person to support immoderate level of consistency successful bid to support that form," Beattie told nan Women's Football Weekly podcast.

Aggie Beaver-Jones started nan run arsenic Chelsea's out-and-out striker, starring nan statement successful their opening 7 games earlier suffering an wounded connected world work pinch England past month.

Catarina Macario has besides been utilized arsenic a cardinal striker, while nan club's grounds signing Alyssa Thompson has not yet cemented a regular spot successful Bompastor's starting line-ups - starting conscionable doubly successful nan WSL.

Australia guardant Sam Kerr has returned from a lengthy spell connected nan sidelines, coming disconnected nan chair successful 7 games this term, and Lauren James has besides travel backmost into nan fold arsenic different attacking action for Bompastor.

"I wholly work together pinch what Jen's saying successful position of nan deficiency of consistency successful that starting XI," ex-England striker Ellen White added.

"They had immoderate injuries, and evidently they are playing three, 4 days back-to-back each nan time, and that rotation is evidently needed for betterment and for freshness arsenic well.

"But it's conscionable trying to get that hit and that consistency and that travel and those connections. It conscionable wasn't rather moving astatine nan weekend."

The quality possibly this play is that teams look fresh to capitalise connected immoderate slip-ups by nan reigning champions.

"We've besides sewage to in installments nan different teams successful nan WSL arsenic well, for improving and processing and trying to nullify Chelsea," White added, praising Liverpool for their attack against nan reigning champions.

Manchester City person been thriving nether caller coach Andree Jeglertz, winning each 8 of their WSL games since an opening-day conclusion by Chelsea.

Opta now springiness City a 46.47% chance of winning nan WSL travel May - up from nan 13.6% they predicted earlier nan play started.

"Last season, erstwhile Chelsea weren't astatine their champion and possibly dropped points successful games, different teams weren't capitalising connected it," ex-England midfielder Fara Williams said connected nan BBC's Women's Football Show.

"This play it looks for illustration those teams are."