Chelsea bounced back from defeat to Barcelona in the best possible way, a rampant home win that puts us within touching distance of winning the league for a sixth consecutive season.

Sonia Bompastor had rotated her side heavily, with seven changes made to the starting line-up from the Champions League semi-final first leg on Sunday. It allowed some much-needed rest and recovery - and opportunities for more players - in a packed schedule ahead of the crucial second leg at Stamford Bridge this weekend.

Pouring forward from the get-go, the Blues opened the scoring with a Guro Reiten penalty midway through the first half, and two minutes later a goal from Catarina Macario had put us firmly in the driving seat.

The second half continued in the same fashion as a desperate last-ditch challenge from Allyson Swaby saw the Palace captain sent off, and Macario netted her brace from the resulting free-kick.

Bompastor's second-half substitutes made a big impact, and the biggest cheer of the night from the Kingsmeadow crowd came when Mia Fishel scored her first since returning from a long-term injury just after the hour mark.

The Blues started brightly, winning a corner and then a dangerously placed free-kick in quick succession within the opening five minutes. Oriane Jean-Francois hit a shot over the bar from the edge of the area from a well-worked ball in from Macario on the left.

Palace were being undone on multiple occasions via some slick combination play from Niamh Charles and the fit-again Reiten down the left-hand side. Sjoeke Nusken hit a shot over the bar and we almost forced an own goal when Reiten's shot was put out for a corner by Lily Woodham, her kick only just wide of the far post.

Defence breached

The breakthrough came after 22 minutes when Reiten's cross was stopped by the hand of Molly-Mae Sharpe, and the referee immediately awarded a penalty. The Norway international stepped up to take the spot kick herself and – although goalkeeper Shae Yanez got a hand to the attempt – she made no mistake in putting Chelsea in front.

The flood gates had been opened. Two minutes later, the advantage was doubled as the move started at the back with Millie Bright. The skipper squared the ball to Naomi Girma, and the USA international played it forward to Ashley Lawrence. Sandy Baltimore received the ball just in front of her, delivering a cross, allowing Macario to take a touch and applying a smart finish.

Second-half dominance

It took just four minutes after half-time before we had the ball in the back of the net again. Palace captain Swaby yanked Nusken down as the Germany international had just run clear through on goal and the referee showed the defender a straight red card. The resulting free-kick was positioned just on the edge of the box. Macario bent in a low effort, which was deflected off Woodham to make it three for the Blues.

Johanna Rytting-Kaneryd made an explosive entrance when she was introduced on the hour mark, as she went close twice in quick succession. The winger then created a chance for Fishel, who couldn't quite make her attempt count.

Newly back from a long-term ACL injury, the American was then denied by a superb stop from Yanez before she finally got her goal. Lucy Bronze headed down a cross before Fishel turned it in at the near post.

As the minutes ticked towards full-time, Rytting-Kaneryd once again went close, but she hit the chance that had been created by Nusken into the side netting.

It mattered very little though, as the job had been done and the points were in the bag ahead of that huge clash against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

What it means...

Chelsea now sit six points clear of second-place Arsenal at the top of the Women's Super League, with just three games remaining. That means they only need four points to secure the title from the remaining three games, with both sides having the same goal difference.

What comes next...

We will play Barcelona in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final, hoping to mount an epic comeback as we look to overturn a 4-1 deficit.

The teams

Chelsea: Hampton; Charles, Bright (c) (Mpome 68), Girma (Bronze 45), Lawrence; Jean-Francois; Baltimore (Hamano 56), Nusken, Reiten (Rytting-Kaneryd 60), Aggie Beaver-Jones (Fishel 45); Macario
Chelsea substitutes: Spencer, Walsh, Mpome, Hamano, Bronze, Rytting-Kaneryd, Cuthbert, Ramirez, Fishel
Scorers: Reiten 22, Macario 24, 49, Fishel 64'

Crystal Palace: Yanez, Arthur, Cato (Blanchard 84), Sharpe, Weerden (Oling 59), Nolan, Larisey (Hughes 60), Gejl (Green 51), Woodham, Stengel (Larkin 60), Swaby
Crystal Palace Substitutes: Majasaari, Veje, Hughes, Blanchard, Green, Oling, Riley, Larkin, Atkinson
Scorers:
Booked: Cato 35, Gejl 48
Sent off: Swaby 47

Referee: Grace Lowe

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