Jessie Fleming opened the scoring for the Blues inside 14 minutes with a beautifully placed right-footed volley, but it was Everton who created the clearer sightings on goal during the first half where Ann-Katrin Berger was crucial in protecting our one-goal lead at the break.

A strong start to the second half saw us double our advantage shortly after the hour when Sam Kerr clinically converted an excellent cross from Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, before substitute Aggie Beever-Jones found the far corner with a wonderful stoppage-time strike.

Remembrance Sunday

Ahead of kick-off, an impeccable minute silence was observed on Remembrance Sunday and in a landmark moment for the WSL, four members of the Armed Forces made up the team of officials who took charge of proceedings.

Referee Lauren Impey (RAF), assistant referees Levi Gray and Gareth Dunn (both Army) and fourth official Adewunmi Soneye (Ex-Navy) became the first team of former or current Armed Forces personnel to officiate a fixture in the women’s game.

Emma Hayes made two changes to the eleven who began the 6-0 victory at Aston Villa in our previous league outing. Jelena Cankovic and Kerr came in for Fran Kirby and Mia Fishel, who were among the substitutes on a bitterly cold and wet afternoon in Merseyside.

Fleming finesse

Everton got the game underway in their blue home strip, while we were dawning our alternate Eton Blue attire. The rain showed no signs of letting up and Berger was quickly forced into a smart save down low to her right, when Heather Payne fizzed an effort across a soaking wet surface.

We opened the scoring with our first clear opportunity on 14 minutes. A flowing forward move which began with Niamh Charles winning back possession inside our own half, culminated in Fleming arriving perfectly into a pocket of space before guiding a right-footed volley into the far corner.

Having broken the deadlock and gained some momentum, there was a lengthy stoppage in play while Charles received treatment after a heavy knock. Thankfully, our full-back was able to return to the action as we went looking for a second goal with half an hour played.

In uncharacteristic fashion, captain Millie Bright mistimed a clearance inside our own penalty area which left Martina Piemonte with only Berger to beat, but our German shot-stopper stood firm to deny the Italian one-on-one and preserve our slender advantage.

On the stroke of half-time, the hosts had the ball in the back of the net despite a wonderful initial save from Berger, but our blushes were spared by the offside flag and we went into the interval one goal to the good.

Finishing touches

It was a far more confident start to the second half from the Blues who dominated possession in the early exchanges. There was more precision and fluidity in our passing and this almost paid dividends only for Erin Cuthbert to see her effort from distance rattle the crossbar.

Our patience was rewarded with a second goal on 62 minutes courtesy of Kerr. A lovely move down the right side saw Rytting Kaneryd put a delightful ball into an inviting area for Kerr to fire home from close range and allow us to breathe a little easier.

A triple substitution in light of the goal saw Lauren James, Sophie Ingle and Fran Kirby introduced in place of Sjoeke Nusken, Fleming and Cankovic. It was a day of personal milestones with James making her 50th Chelsea appearance, while Ingle equaled the all-time WSL appearance record of 183 matches.

Another attacking change saw goal scorer Kerr make way for Mia Fishel as the game entered its final quarter of an hour. Aggie Beever-Jones, who spent last season on loan at Everton, was introduced in place of Rytting Kaneryd with 10 minutes remaining.

However, there was still time to add some gloss to the scoreline and Beever-Jones stepped up to score our third of the afternoon, cutting inside from the right and curling an exquisite strike into the far corner to secure our fifth win from six league matches.

What it means

Our fourth consecutive league victory sees us maintain our position at the top of the Barclays Women’s Super League table with a four-point gap over second-place Manchester United, but with Leicester and Arsenal still to play on Sunday evening.

What’s next?

It’s a quick turnaround before our next match and the eagerly-awaited return of the UEFA Women’s Champions League next week.

We get our group stage campaign underway with a trip to Real Madrid this Wednesday 15 November at the Estadio Alfredo di Stefano, with kick-off at 8.00pm (UK time).

The teams

Chelsea (4-3-3): Berger; Perisset, Bright (c), Carter, Charles; Nusken (Kirby 63), Cuthbert, Cankovic (Ingle 63); Fleming (James 63), Rytting Kaneryd (Beever-Jones 82), Kerr (Fishel 76).

Unused Subs: Musovic, Lawrence, Mjelde, Buchanan.

Scorers: Fleming (14), Kerr (62), Beever-Jones (90).

Booked: Fleming (43), Nusken (53).

Everton (3-4-1-2): Brosnan; K. Holmgaard (Bennison 71), Finnigan (c), Veje; Wheeler, Galli, Vanhaevermaet, S. Holmgaard (Bissell 53), Payne; Sorensen (Olesen 85), Piemonte (Snoeijs 71).

Unused Subs: Ramsey, Campbell, Duggan, Aherne.

Referee: Lauren Impey