A goal less than two minutes from the start and another with two minutes left on the clock in Sunday’s visit to West Ham were enough to keep Chelsea ahead on goal difference in the league title race. Although it proved to be a difficult game, Emma Hayes was satisfied with another win during this busy part of the season.

The victory is sandwiched by the away and home legs of our Champions League quarter-final and despite West Ham having chances, the team did enough to record a fourth league away win in a row with a clean sheet. Hayes made both tactical and personnel changes in the second half and it was substitute Erin Cuthbert who smashed home the second goal.

‘It’s three points, an early goal, we were good from the bench, and I am delighted with the result,’ declared Hayes afterwards.

‘It is tough to come here. We’ve seen Arsenal struggle and Man United drew here. It is not an easy place to come. It is to be expected if we are a bit tired. We are doing a lot travelling, we have had a lot of games, and a lot of away games this month.

‘People don’t realise how hard it is to do it again and again and again. It was the right performance considering all of those factors and it was nice for players to come on and make the difference.’

It was young forward Aggie Beever-Jones who netted the first goal, her eighth goal in an impressive first season in the squad.

‘Aggie did a great job, she scored early on for us, she is improving every week,’ said Hayes. ‘All the other little details she has to get right but she is a threat.


‘Fran Kirby played her 200th game for us and Jess Carter and Guro Reiten on Tuesday got their 150th and I am delighted for those players, and we must get fresh and go again.’

Conscious that Chelsea play a cup final next weekend while our closest WSL challengers Manchester City are in league action, the Blues manager will not be keeping a close eye on the table.

‘There is no point watching it as we are always going to be a game behind going forward, we are not going to be top, so for me it is where we are at the end that matters.’