The game started in wet and windy conditions in the West Midlands. Despite talk of the weather being a leveller, Chelsea Women still arrived at the Poundland Bescot Stadium as strong favourites and with good cause, as we had won all four previous meetings with Aston Villa in the Women’s Super League and our opponents were searching for their first points of the season.

This time proved to be little different as, once we had put a tricky start behind us when Millie Bright volleyed us into the lead from a corner, the Blues never looked back. It was 2-0 before half-time, as Fran Kirby slotted in after a goal-mouth scramble, and there was only one team in it after the break.

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd raced clear to slot home and put things beyond doubt, before two more in quick succession from substitutes Ashley Lawrence and Aggie Beever-Jones underlined our supremacy. Niamh Charles then popped up to inflict further pain on Aston Villa and complete our biggest win of the season so far.

The home side started on the front foot, going on the attack and looking to deliver balls into the box early on. That forced Jess Carter to make a crucial intervention, getting just enough on a Jordan Nobbs cross from the left to divert it away from the waiting Rachel Daly behind her.

Blues to the fore

However, it was Chelsea who were close to opening the scoring five minutes in. Erin Cuthbert did well to come out on top in a 50-50 around the Villa box and when the ball broke to Fran Kirby, she slid a perfect pass through to Johanna Rytting Kaneryd on the right side of the box. Unfortunately, the angle was against the Swede and goalkeeper Daphne Van Domselaar was able to save.

We went even closer moments later, as we started to get to grips with the conditions and stamp our authority on the game. When the Blues broke, the Villa defenders stood off and gave Kirby too much time in the box. She was only too happy to accept the invitation, turning inside and curling an effort at goal, but saw it crash off the top of the crossbar with the keeper rooted to the spot.

There was a big let off for the Blues, though, as the conditions continued to add an element of uncertainty, especially for defenders. It was another cross from the Villa left which caused problems, this time by Kirsty Hanson. That evaded Bright at the front post, but thankfully it was just as hard for Daly to deal with, as she blazed her shot over the bar from seven yards.

Chelsea at the double

It wasn’t long before we were in the lead, though, and it came through Bright as she made no mistake at the other end to find the net on her 250th appearance for Chelsea. It came from a well-worked set-piece, which ended with Fleming clipping a cross into a dangerous area at the back post. Mia Fishel’s initial header was somehow cleared off the line, but there was Bright to lash in the rebound with her left foot.

The goal seemed to leave Villa rattled and five minutes later it was 2-0. Again it took a couple of attempts to get the ball into the back of the net, but there was no doubting the quality of the long, patient team move which led to it. When that created space for Rytting Kaneryd on the right to deliver, she found Fleming. Her header was blocked, as was Kirby’s follow-up, but when the second rebound came straight back Fran smashed it in from close range.

A string of chances followed in quick succession. When Kirby and Cuthbert were both denied by a series of blocks in the box, the only question as we approached half-time was why our lead was still only two goals strong.

Racing clear after the break

Kirby thought she had her second goal of the game two minutes into the second half, when she poked Fleming’s through-ball into the net, but the offside flag was up, and then Ann-Katrin Berger had to save at her near post from Nobbs as the second period began at a high tempo.

Any small hope Aston Villa may have had of mounting a second-half comeback was soon snuffed out, though, as Rytting Kaneryd got our third. The winger had been a constant threat and deserved a goal, and when it arrived it was full of individual quality. The ball ricocheted to Rytting Kaneryd on the halfway line and her response was ruthless, racing between two defenders and away into the distance, carrying the ball all the way into the box before finishing confidently into the bottom corner.

Things got even better, as substitute Ashley Lawrence, introduced to help us see out the game at the back, popped up at the other end to make it four with her first goal for Chelsea. Cuthbert broke forward and found Fleming in acres of space on the right. When she crossed, Lawrence met it with a perfectly timed run to turn in unmarked from six yards.

The Blues were running away with it now and almost immediately we had our next via another substitute. Jelena Cankovic played in Aggie Beever-Jones down the left and the young forward just kept going, sprinting inside and away from the defenders before placing a simple shot past the keeper with time to pick her spot.

We inflicted more misery on Aston Villa as their defence continued to crumble. The excellent Rytting Kaneryd was key again, creating space for herself on the right and squaring low across the face of goal. This time it was Niamh Charles racing in to meet it, side-footing past the helpless Van Domselaar in the Villa net.

Cankovic nearly added another, when her cross was tipped against the post by the goalkeeper in added time. That left the home side grateful for the sound of the final whistle, bringing to an end 90 minutes of torment during which the Blues had run them ragged throughout.

What it means

Chelsea Women continue our unbeaten start to the season and go three-points clear at the top of the Women's Super League table, albeit having one game more than our closest challengers after playing in this weekend's early kick-off.

What's next?

We are back on the road in the Women's Super League next week, travelling to Everton for a 1pm kick-off on Sunday 12 November.

The teams

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Berger, Perisset (Mjelde 78), Bright (c) (Buchanan 78), Carter, Charles, Nusken, Cuthbert (Cankovic 64), Rytting Kaneryd, Fleming, Fishel (Beever-Jones 58), Kirby (Lawrence 58)
Unused subs: Musovic, Nouwen, Ingle, Kerr
Scorers: Bright 21, Kirby 26, Rytting Kaneryd 56, Lawrence 63, Beever-Jones 67, Charles 74

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Van Domselaar; Mayling, Patten, Turner, Pacheco; Staniforth (McLoughlin 79), Blindkilde Brown; Lehmann (Salmon 71), Nobbs (Corsie 71), Hanson; Daly (c)
Unused subs: Leon, Leat, Mullett
Booked: Patten 35