Sonia Bompastor's dazzling start to the season continued with a thrilling 5-2 win over Spurs at Kingsmeadow, ensuring maximum points since she became Chelsea Women's manager.
A fourth WSL win on the trot ahead of an international break means Bompastor is not merely following in predecessor Emma Hayes' footprints, she's creating tracks of her own.
What was evident on Sunday, as a packed house was regally entertained by a seven-goal London derby against Tottenham, was how much the reining WSL manager of the month has improved key players.
Spurs, under Robert Vilahamn, are not a bad side, but Blues front runners Maika Hamano and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd have recorded such an uplift in performance under the French coach that they made relatively easy work of the North Londoners.
Kaneryd scored two goals – one a goal-of-the-season contender – and made another for Hamano, using her strength, pace and inventiveness. No wonder she was handed the player of the match trophy, and remarked that she'd now "run out of space on the shelf in my apartment" to store them all.
"We were struggling in the first half," said Kaneryd, "but I feel that, all round, we played with a lot of intensity today and scored a lot of goals, so I'm happy with that."
Setting up Hamano in the 10th minute for the Blues' opener was one thing, but it was the flying volley in the 70th from the edge of the Spurs area that fans will remember; a goal which, the footballer admits, "was the nicest goal I've scored so far in my career".
Captain Millie Bright had made one of her trademark diagonal pinpoint hoofs from the left side of the pitch. Jojo leapt forward to meet it in mid-air and steer it over ex-Chelsea keeper Becky Spencer to make it 3-1 – after Spurs had levelled in the first half through a speculative lob by Amanda Nilden which Blues goalie Hannah Hampton had parried and which linesman Harley Hetherington controversially flagged as having crossed the line.
Hampton's protests earned her a yellow card, but Bompastor was later supportive of her keeper's passion, and switched the debate to asking why goalline technology wasn't a part of the women's game a decade after it was introduced for the men.
A Nilden own-goal before the interval restored Chelsea's lead, and there was later time for Kaneyrd to fire into the roof of the net, Sandy Baltimore to mop up and score when Guro Reiten's 75th minute penalty bounced back off the post and flying Finn Eveliina Summanen to bend a free kick up and in.
"I'm very happy and I feel like I'm in good shape," said Kaneyrd before jetting out to join the Swedish team for a double-header against Luxembourg.
Bompastor beamed with pride at the post-match press conference. "Jojo and Maike had great performances tonight. When the team's performing well, it's easier for great players to perform, but I have to say Jojo is on fire, and we are really happy with that," she said.
She added that she didn't think anything had altered in Kaneyrd's game since last season, except perhaps a rise in confidence and belief. And, observers reckon, the fact that Chelsea's right wing has been designated her exclusive territory.
On Hamano, Bompastor said she worked to a game plan, but that the 20-year-old Japanese forward was also licensed to make her own creative decisions alongside Mayra Ramirez.
The Chelsea manager will be anxiously awaiting the return of her players from their international duties, hoping no one adds to her injury list. Lauren James has a calf problem which will force her to rest for another month, Naimh Charles won't be back until December, and Sam Kerr's ACL recovery may not be complete until after the Christmas winter break. Only Catarina Macario looks like coming off the sick list in the next fortnight.
Next up for Chelsea Women, a journey to Everton on 3 November.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
