In Emma Hayes’ final home match as her 12 years as Blues manager draw to a close, her side were able to easily take all the points on offer with Guro Reiten scoring a four-goal haul that began with an early penalty, and Sjoeke Nusken adding to the lead before half-time.

The lively Aggie Beever-Jones scored twice in the second half while Reiten’s sweet-shooting display continued with three goals that were split by an equally well-struck Niamh Charles volley.

Bristol City troubled Chelsea on one occasion early in the game and missed a chance straight after the restart, but that apart, it was a thoroughly dominant home display.

Manchester City lost at home to Arsenal earlier in the day which means their lead is cut to three points with Chelsea having played one game fewer, and the magnitude of this Blues victory wipes out the goal difference advantage City had at the start of the day. Unlike Chelsea, they are not in action again until the final day of the season.

Bottom-club Bristol City, whose relegation had been confirmed a week ago, came into this match off the back of seven straight defeats and without a goal scored in the last five of those.

Chelsea, meanwhile, had suffered our third league loss of the season at Liverpool on Wednesday night. On that occasion, Hayes spoke of tiredness in the team and she freshened it up today by making six changes.

Start is spot on

One of those coming in, Maiko Hamano, sent the first shot wide but it would not be long before the Blues were ahead from the penalty spot.

Bristol City’s Jasmine Bull was her team’s culprit, clumsily tripping Niamh Charles with a dangling leg. Reiten went for placement with her spot-kick and rolled it perfectly into the left bottom corner. It was the Norwegian’s fourth successfully converted penalty of the season.

From that moment it was not complete take-off for the Blues as on 10 minutes, it needed a double stop from Zecira Musovic to prevent a City leveller. She first saved from Carrie Jones and then needed to hurriedly scoop the ball off the line when it bounced back that way.

Nusken poaches the second

Beever-Jones tried her luck with a curler from the edge of the penalty area and was not far away. Fran Bentley then saved a header from the same Chelsea player but the Blues could not be kept at bay for much longer. When a corner came over midway through the first half, a Beever-Jones header was initially saved but Nusken was there to prod the ball over the line from a couple of yards out.

The attacks were now flowing. Reiten floated a cross just beyond the out-stretched leg of Beever-Jones. The 20-year-old striker, in a central position today, was providing a cutting edge and she almost scored a deserved goal with the last kick of the first half. An acrobatic overhead attempt from a Reiten cross flew narrowly wide and we had to settle for a 2-0 interval lead.

Fran Kirby came on at half-time for Nusken – our leading scorer of the modern era another also experiencing her final home game.

Kicking on after the break

The Robins’ Ffion Morgan had the first scoring opportunity of the second half but sent it wide, and Chelsea were soon up the other end making it 3-0. Beever-Jones exchanged passes with Erin Cuthbert as she glided through the opposition defence and slotted coolly.

Four minutes later it was 4-0 and this one was the best strike of the game so far. Reiten was allowed to advance unhindered towards the edge of the box and having seen the target open up, she drilled the ball low into the far corner.

Reiten completed her hat-trick with 20 minutes left to play. Substitute Catarina Macario had gone close to scoring herself before playing her part in this goal with Kirby also involved. Reiten finished the move from the left of the area.

Charles slammed in goal number six when a free-kick dropped her way at the far post, before Reiten again picked out the bottom corner of the net for a magnificent 7-0 lead.

Maren Mjelde came on late in the game for another Kingsmeadow farewell and the Blues had not stopped the scoring. Reiten this time turned provider, sending a cross to the far post for Beever-Jones to head down and in.

8-0, and what a way to bring down the curtain on Emma’s home matches at Chelsea!

What it means

A fifth consecutive league title is still possible. Manchester City’s remaining game is away at Aston Villa on Saturday 18 May, when we will be in action at Old Trafford. Before then comes another huge game for the Blues - away at Tottenham.

Chelsea are on 49 points to City’s 52 and we now have a +1 greater goal difference. Arsenal in third are on 47 points.

What's next?

There is now a gap of a week-and-a-half before the penultimate fixture of the season - when we travel to take on Tottenham at the Gaughan Group Stadium in Leyton. Kick-off on Wednesday 15 May is 7.15pm.

Chelsea Musovic; Perisset (Rytting Kaneryd 63), Bright (c), Bjorn (Mjelde 82), Charles; Cuthbert, Ingle (Macario 63); Hamano, Nusken (Kirby h-t), Reiten; Beever-Jones (Lawrence 90+2)
Unused subs Hampton, Buchanan, Carter, Leupolz
Scorers Reiten 6 pen, 56, 70, 77, Nusken 23, Beever-Jones 52, 88, Charles 74

Bristol City Bentley; Bull (Ward 78), Struck, Connolly (c), Powell; Morgan (Harrison 78), Syme (Hayles 71), Rodgers, Jones (Stratigakis 90+2), Napier; Thestrup.
Unused subs Yanez, Clark, Slocombe, Kendell, Evans
Booked Rodgers 86

Referee Stacey Fullicks