Author: Paul Lagan

Lauren James scored a wonderful individual goal ensuring the Blues returned to the top of the WSL after a hard-fought 3-2 away win against Spurs.

You know that teasing chant when fans spot an opposition’s expensive signing warming up on the sidelines – ‘Who the hell are you? – well, I suspect that it will be the home fans turn to chant it to a whole host of Chelsea players tonight.

Sam Kerr scored a hat-trick that saw off dogged Liverpool 3-2 to move into the fifth round of the FA Cup, but they were made to work needlessly hard for it.

Chelsea manager Graham Potter will be relishing the time he has to get to grips with the talents of his new players, oversee the injury recovery process of some absent players and get onto the training ground and start implementing his style of play.

Chelsea cruised into the semi-final of the League Cup without raising a sweat, which would have been difficult given the cold and wet conditions as they overcame a dogged Spurs 3-0 with two goals from Sam Kerr and a lovely strike from substitute Fran Kirby.

They were still selling match tickets to fans as the players walked off the frozen pitch six minutes after the scheduled 12.30pm kick-off as Chelsea’s WSL encounter against Liverpool was abandoned.

Chelsea travel to Liverpool tomorrow in a game labelled the fight for UEFA Europa League Conference qualification. To be fair, talk among Blues fans is that they would prefer no European football next season than qualification into that tournament.

It’s tough for a Chelsea fan at the moment.

Things aren’t helped by the 4-0 drubbing handed out on them by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon, that saw the west Londoners exit the FA Cup in miserable fashion.

It was the night the Three Kings came bearing gifts and Chelsea duly delivered the ultimate gift, three points to the king of the Premier League Pep Guardiola and his charges.

In the first half, the west Londoners were precise in their passing, confident that their build-up play would reap dividends- it did as Nottingham Forest were by and large outclassed while only conceding a single goal – a volley from Raheem Sterling.

Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech have returned to the Chelsea squad ahead of Sunday’s Premier League game at Nottingham Forest.

Kai Havertz put aside any World Cup hangover with Germany to put in a class display as striker  and scored the opener in Chelsea’s 2-0 over Bournemouth at the Bridge this evening.

It took a late first half thumper from Sam Kerr to settle the nerves, and as soon as she did what she normally does – score, the outcome of the game against PSG at Stamford Bridge tonight was never in doubt.

The folly, as some would see, in playing friendlies is that players can get serious injuries when nothing is at stake.

Paul Lagan assesses Chelsea’s start, grades the boss, picks out the best performer and which player needs to deliver more as the Premier League season gets set to resume on Boxing Day.

In the cut-throat world of elite senior football, when your team thrashes the opposition 8-0 it is normally time to crow and feel pleased with yourself and belittle the vanquished. But Fran Kirby is cut from a very different cloth.