Chelsea 2-0 Manchester City: Five talking points from the Community Shield
English champions Chelsea took the Community Shield home after a 2-0 win over Manchester City, helped somewhat by playing against 10 players for the final half an hour after Jill Scott’s red card.
Millie Bright thumped in a cracker before Scotland’s Erin Cuthbert side-footed in a second.
Anyone’s Game takes a look at five talking points from the first trophy of the English season.
The double header was great
With fans unable to attend, being able to put on two cup finals back-to-back at Wembley was an easier prospect, but the English FA nailed it by putting on both Community Shield finals on the same day, with Liverpool v Arsenal in the men’s version following at 16:30.
In a recent chat with Rangers Women’s and Girl’s Academy manager Kevin Murphy, he stated his case for the Scottish Women’s Premier League permanently moving to a winter season with clubs perhaps able to do similar.
Currently, Hibernian Women are due to host Celtic Women on 22 November, the same weekend the two men’s sides clash at Easter Road. With fans hopefully back in stadiums by then, could it be an opportunity to play both games back-to-back in Leith, with fans of each side encouraged to arrive early to take in the two clashes?
That Sam Kerr is rubbish eh?
She might have been PFA’s women’s player of the year four times, voted the best player in Australia twice, won the W-League golden boot twice, the NSWL golden boot three times, been named the FMA international player of the year twice, the NSWL’s most valuable player twice, been named in the NSWL team of the season three times, been named the best player in the world in 2019, and a bunch of other awards. But, Sam Kerr is rubbish.
It was chance after chance for the Australian legend, six in total fluffed in front of goal.
She likely was just a bit rusty with the six-month layoff mind you so we’ll let her off. Watch her hit a hat-trick in her next game.
Jill Scott’s red card
Manchester City found themselves down to 10 players just after the hour mark when Jill Scott was sent off after receiving a second yellow card. It was a huge turning point in the game, with Millie Bright putting Chelsea ahead four minutes later.
However, it was an incredibly harsh dismissal. Scott had slid in and Ji So-yun was hurt, but it looked a fair challenge with the ball there to be won, and studs down. Judge for yourselves for the photo but it didn’t look too dangerous.
Are we getting to the point where any sliding challenge that results in contact with the player is a foul?
Chloe Kelly can big a big player for Manchester City
Chloe Kelly was impressive for Everton last season, scoring nine times before the season was brought to a premature halt. And on her debut for Manchester City she showed she has lost none of that fearlessness as she drove at players and lit up the Wembley showpiece.
At one point in the first half she skipped by three players, and had she taken on the shot rather than elect for a pass it would have been one of the great goals scored at the stadium since it’s redevelopment.
Life about to get harder for Erin Cuthbert?
The Scottish international has recently signed a new contract with English champions Chelsea, and she started the final on the bench as she struggled for fitness after a recent injury. However, she still was able to come on and get her name on the scoresheet with a late goal.
However, with rumours that Wolfsburg’s Pernille Harder could be moving to London, Cuthbert could have a fight on her hands to keep her place in the team. Or can Chelsea find a place for both of them in the starting XI?
And of course, at the age of just 22, Erin has now scored at Hampden, Wembley and Parc des Princes.
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Have a look at some of what Anyone’s Game have produced in the past week:-
Champions League final Podcast: Wolfsburg v Lyon preview
Opinion piece: SWPL fixture list needs more thought
Match report: Wolfsburg 1-0 Barcelona
Serie A: Christy Grimshaw makes Milan debut on first weekend of season
News: What has happened this week in women’s football
Podcast: On the whistle reaction after Glasgow City 1-9 Wolfsburg