Chelsea thrash Crystal Palace for back-to-back WSL wins

Chelsea’s WSL defence went from strength to strength in a 7-0 demolition of Crystal Palace.

Scorers: Beaver-Jones 38′, Bronze 48′, James 58′, Reiten 74′, 90′, Björn 78′, Macario 90+5′

The visitors took a late first-half lead through Aggie Beaver-Jones’ first-time finish from Johanna Rytting Kaneryd’s cross to beat Shae Yáñez.

Lucy Bronze doubled the lead for the defending champions shortly after the interval with a sublime first-time strike from outside the area.

The Blues continued to pile the misery on their London counterparts when Mayra Ramírez picked out Lauren James at the far post to slot home.

Guro Reiten added a fourth in the game’s final quarter at Selhurst Park with a sweeping penalty-area strike after being teed up by Wieke Kaptein.

Just four minutes later, Nathalie Bjorn bundled the ball home after a deep corner had eluded several teammates and reached the back post.

Reiten extended the rout by claiming a brace at the end of normal time by squeezing a shot into the bottom left-hand corner of Yáñez’s net.

Catarina Macario rounded off a comprehensive victory by prodding home after the Eagles’ goalkeeper had parried her initial attempt.

Sonia Bompastor’s side top the table, having played a game more than the rest of the league while Palace remain mired in rock-bottom place.