Chelsea claimed their fourth consecutive Women’s Super League victory with a 3-0 win over West Ham at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.
Goals from Melvine Malard, Keira Walsh and Maika Hamano rewarded a dominant display from Sonia Bompastor’s side, although the visitors had to wait until late in the match to make the scoreline reflect their control.
Malard broke the deadlock in the 38th minute, slotting into the bottom corner after a challenge on Sjoeke Nusken inside the penalty area sent the ball into her path.
Chelsea created several opportunities to extend their lead.
Nusken fired over from close range after meeting Walsh’s delivery across the box, while Kadeisha Buchanan headed off target.
Walsh also struck the post and sent another effort wide before finally finding the net with 10 minutes remaining.
Collecting Wieke Kaptein’s pass on the edge of the area, the England midfielder drove a powerful shot into the bottom corner.
Hamano, making her first start of the season, completed the scoring with a close-range header.
The victory moved Chelsea provisionally top of the table, one point ahead of London City Lionesses and Manchester City, with City due to face Arsenal later on Sunday.
Walsh leads Chelsea’s midfield dominance
Walsh was central to Chelsea’s attacking play, producing an influential performance that was capped by her late goal.
She attempted five shots, more than any of her team-mates, and scored with her only effort on target. She also created three chances and won six of her nine duels.
Her form provides encouragement for England ahead of their Women’s World Cup qualifying play-off matches against Greece later this month.
Bompastor explained that Walsh is operating further forward than she did last season, allowing Chelsea to benefit more from her shooting ability.
The manager also praised the midfielder’s confidence and contribution in front of goal.
West Ham struggle to threaten
West Ham failed to register a single shot as they suffered their fourth league defeat of the campaign.
Despite keeping the deficit to one goal for much of the contest, the hosts could not establish an attacking foothold and eventually conceded twice more.
Manager Rita Guarino identified ball retention as a key area for improvement, saying her players needed to make better use of possession and find space after winning the ball.
She acknowledged that addressing those problems would require sustained work, with Chelsea’s dominance exposing the difficulties facing her side.
