Chelsea show different way to win, Fran Kirby reminds of her enduring class and Ebony Salmon flips the script

There will be few games in which Chelsea do not dominate possession this season but the patient 2-0 defeat of title rivals Manchester City on Saturday was one of them, with Sonia Bompastor’s side having the ball only 36.6% of the time. And it was deliberate, a tactical decision that paid off. “We have dominated a lot of games possession-wise but tonight we were happy to sit behind the ball, be compact,” the midfielder Erin Cuthbert said. “It was more of a traditional performance but Sonia is a winner and will do whatever it takes to win. We got the tactics spot on.” The London team conceded possession but they dominated in every other area, with 15 shots to eight, six on target to two and 30 touches in the penalty area to 16. It is this tactical flexibility and nous that makes the Blues unpredictable and, in turn, difficult to play against. Chelsea look a coherent beast of a team, and with players still to return from injury (Sam Kerr and Mia Fishel among them), the ceiling for this side feels distant. SW

Match report: Chelsea 2-0 Manchester City

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