Chelsea v Tottenham: Women’s Super League – live

Key events

30 min: And Spurs keep pushing on, to their immense credit. Drew Spence remains at the heart of it all.

28 min: This could get ugly for Spurs and yet they’ve played…just fine.

Goal! Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham (Cuthbert, 26)

They can score from long range, too. The ball drops from a corner to the edge of the box and Erin Cuthbert gives it the full leather, spinning into the goal, always bending beyond Korpela.

Erin Cuthbert doubles the lead for Chelsea.
Erin Cuthbert doubles the lead for Chelsea. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images/Reuters

23 min: Kerr again is the target of a long ball from Cuthbert, and she again holds up play, only to this time hit straight at Korpela. Chelsea are mixing it up, and are prepared to look for the long balls.

21 min: Korpela, the Tottenham goalie, shows bravery in diving to the feet of Sam Kerr to make a low save. And a necessary one, too.

19 min: Tottenham continue to be dangerous, and Drew Spence has the ball whipped from under her as she gets the ball on the edge of the area.

17 min: Chelsea cough up a chance, as Perisset loses possession and Neville tries from distance. Berger is equal to the task.

15 min: Chelsea want another. Reiten escapes down the flank, loops over a ball for Cuthbert but no connection is made.

14 min: That’s what Sam Kerr having Sam Kerr things can do to the opposition.

Goal! Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham (Kerr, 13)

Against the run of play, and the first time she got through. Millie Bright gets it launched, Kerr holds off two defenders and then looks for the space to aim for, slotting into the side-netting. All that good Tottenham work gone to waste.

Sam Kerr scores for Chelsea!
Sam Kerr scores for Chelsea! Photograph: Harriet Lander/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

11 min: Sam Kerr at last gets a touch, but Tottenham’s Turner gets the ball clear. Spurs have been much the better team. Then Drew Spence takes a heavy tackle. That won’t stop her being able to carry on, she has a point to prove.

9 min: Early booking for Bizet, for shirt-pulling. She’s on sudden death already, then.

8 min: Tottenham have a free-kick chance. Ambitious from here but Summanen takes it on. That’s not the end of the attack, and Chelsea have to clear at haste to stop Jessica Naz in her tracks.

7 min: It’s been a quiet start, in truth, and perhaps that’s a result of both teams playing away from their usual home. Kingsmeadow is such a stronghold for Chelsea.

5 min: Chelsea mount a first proper attack, and Tottenham’s Bartrip clears the danger.

3 min: Both teams playing out from the back, and Tottenham are pressing high up, forcing a couple of errors. Millie Bright is forced to clear danger at the back. Drew Spence, against her former club, pings in the first shot. No problem for goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger.

1 min: And after the players take the knee, off they go in the south-west London sunshine. Emma Hayes is already audible from the sidelines. Welcome back, Ems.

The teams take to the field at the Bridge to the sound of Harry J. All Stars’s The Liquidator. There’s a large Tifo flag being passed around The Shed.

Emma Hayes speaks to the BBC on her return to frontline duties. She’s been communicating via ear-piece during matches.

I’m super proud of everyone. So many amazing people have been able to deliver, I am back to support them now. I love our fans and I am so excited to see them. The team’s in a really good place.

Stamford Bridge is sold out, and we have some lovely late-autumnal, early-winter sun.

The fans arrive at a resplendent Stamford Bridge.
The fans arrive at a resplendent Stamford Bridge. Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images

Emma Hayes had this powerful point to make on her return to the dugout.

It’s up to our government and the decisions they make to invest in the healthcare industry,” the manager said in her first press conference since surgery. “[They need to make sure that] every medical professional is up to speed with women’s health and women’s gynaecology and if not, they need to have more gynaecologists available.

I think it’s unacceptable to wait for prolonged periods to see a gynaecologist in this country on the NHS. And I have to say this: if these conditions were suffered by a man, there would be zero chance you would be waiting for a prolonged period.

This is the standard these two are aspiring to.

In front of the second-largest WSL crowd of 40,064, after the 47,367 that attended Arsenal’s defeat of Tottenham at the Emirates, United took the lead through Ella Toone late in the first half before Arsenal struck back in the second. Frida Maanum drew Arsenal level before Laura Wienroither gave them the lead.

United flipped the script though, with Katie Zelem delivering twice from set pieces, first for Millie Turner, then Alessia Russo to send the hefty away contingent wild.

Here are the teams

Chelsea: Berger, Perisset, Bright, Kadeisha Buchanan, Eriksson, Cuthbert, Ingle, Fleming, James, Kerr, Reiten. Subs: Musovic, Nouwen, Carter, England, Svitkova, Kirby, Johanna Kaneryd, Charles, Abdullina.

Tottenham: Korpela, Turner, Bartrip, Zadorsky, Ale, James, Summanen, Neville, Ildhusoy, Naz, Spence. Subs: Harrop, Cho, Ubogagu, Spencer, Ayane, Pearse.

Preamble

Stamford Bridge is a stage too rarely trod by Chelsea’s usually all-conquering women’s team. And the home team could really do with a win, to put pressure on Arsenal, who surrendered their 100 percent record on Saturday, and Manchester United, who took it off them. After losing their first game of the season at Liverpool, Emma Hayes’ team have recovered their step somewhat, and after beating United two weeks ago, will fancy their chances. Hayes herself is returning to the dugout after having a hysterectomy, though says he is unlikely to be “back to normal’” until the new year. Her team, and backroom staff, Paul Green and Denise Reddy, have done well without her but it will be a relief to have the champion coach back in harness. Tottenham’s previous match with Manchester City was postponed, though their last match, on 30 October, saw them win 8-0 at Brighton. Spurs are in mid-table but having played two games fewer than most, have chance to climb higher should they win this London derby.

source: theguardian.com