Rytting Kaneryd opened our account for the new campaign with 36 minutes on the clock. The Swedish international - who enjoyed an impressive pre-season campaign – put the Blues in front with an excellent shot from the edge of the penalty area.

That goal, coupled with two important late saves from Hannah Hampton, ensured the reigning league champions got off to a winning start at Kingsmeadow in what was an entertaining encounter in front of a sell-out crowd.

An open 45

Handed starting roles by Bompastor, summer signings Lucy Bronze and Sandy Baltimore made their competitive debuts for Chelsea.

And the first opportunity fell to the Blues with only a minute on the clock. Skipper Millie Bright found an unmarked Guro Reiten in space on the edge of the Villa box, but her effort bounced wide.

Rytting Kaneyrd was then hauled down by Villa midfielder Lucy Staniforth, who was shown a yellow card, and the resultant set-piece was whipped in by Reiten and met by Sjoeke Nusken, whose effort on the volley dropped just wide of the target. It was a positive start from the Blues.

There was soon another chance for Reiten, who this time linked up with Mayra Ramirez, but again our Norwegian international guided her effort inches wide of the post.

After early opportunities for the home side, the visitors missed a glorious chance to go ahead when Chastity Grant latched on to the ball at the far post and fired it goal wards. The effort dropped to the feet of Missy Bo Kearns, who from only a few yards out fired over.

At the other end, in her first competitive start for the Blues, there was almost a first Chelsea goal for Bronze, but she saw her header from a corner well held by Villa goalkeeper Sabrina D'Angelo.

Reiten continued to get in good positions and was presented with another chance to put us ahead by Rytting Kaneryd; the Norwegian did well to get a shot away at an awkward angle but it trailed wide.

Blues goalkeeper Hampton was next called into action as she ade a relatively comfortable save after Villa midfielder Jordan Nobbs unleashed a strike from distance.

Chelsea continued to threaten and a superb ball from Nusken switched the play to Baltimore down the left flank. She cut inside and delivered a dangerous cross which was cut out by the diving D'Angelo.

Mere moments later, the Blues were 1-0 up thanks to a sweet left-footed strike from Rytting Kaneryd. Ramirez found our goalscorer in the final third and the Swede produced a smart dummy to take the ball wide to beat her marker and then hit the curled opener.

In the dying stages of the opening period, Ramirez looked to add a second in impressive fashion as she backheeled the ball toward goal from yards out. Her effort, however, was collected by Villa's goalkeeper.

Chances continue

Inside the opening two minutes of the second half, Hampton did incredibly well to be alert and get down to smother a deflected effort from Villa, with the ball having been whipped in from a corner.

As she had done throughout, Rytting Kaneryd looked lively as she burst forward from just inside the Villa half to find Ramirez in the final third, but the Colombian hit her strike into the side netting.

It was end-to-end after the interval, and Villa forward Rachel Daly saw a looping header from range dip onto the woodwork before Bronze was called into defensive duty to clear a threatening cross from Noelle Maritz.

Soon after, a corner sent in by Erin Cuthbert saw Kadeisha Buchanan rise highest in the Villa box, but her header was too high and dropped onto the roof of D'Angelo's net.

And at the other end, Buchanan produced a vital block as Villa looked to hit the Blues on the counter-attack. Kenza Dali carried the ball forward, found substitute Kirsty Hanson in the box and our defender was on hand to clear the imminent danger.

Two attacking Chelsea substitutions with just over 20 minutes to go saw Aggie Beever-Jones and Maika Hamano enter the fray. They replaced Ramirez and Baltimore, respectively.

Back-to-back chances for the visitors followed and both saw the Blues defend resolutely. Captain Bright blocked the first – a strike from Paula Tomas – before Bronze was in the right place to clear a rebounded chance.

The Kingsmeadow crowd thought it was 2-0 in the 75th minute when Lucy Parker looked to cut out Hamano's cross, but in the process turned the ball towards her own goal. Yet D'Angelo was alert and clawed the ball off the line.

Another attacking change saw Lauren James replace goal scorer Rytting Kaneryd, as the Blues pushed for a second goal with five minutes left to go.

Yet it was Villa who came closest in added time as Hampton made two match-winning saves.

The first was to deny Daly at the front post, with the former England international heading goalward, before opposition goalkeeper D'Angelo, up to attack the corner, saw her effort pushed over the par by her Chelsea counterpart.

What it means

Our WSL title defence starts with a well-earned three points as the Blues set the tone for the opening weekend of the season.

What next

We are on the road for the first time this season when we travel to Selhurst Park next Friday night to face newly-promoted side Crystal Palace.

The teams

Chelsea: Hampton; Bronze, Buchanan, Bright, Lawrence, Cuthbert, Nusken, Reiten (Bjorn 90+3), Baltimore (Hamano 66), Rytting Kaneryd (James 85), Ramirez (Beever-Jones 66)
Unused subs: Musovic, Perisset, Mpome, Kaptein, Macario
Goals: Rytting Kaneyrd 36
Booked: Hamano 90+3

Aston Villa: D'Angelo; Maritz, Patten, Parker (Salmon 85), Tomas, Nobbs, Staniforth (Hanson 46), Grant (Leon 66), Kearns, Dali (Robinson 66), Daly
Unused subs: Poor, Mayling, Corsie, Turner, Pacheco
Booked: Staniforth 4