Report & reaction: Albion secure big point against leaders Chelsea

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Charlie Hanson

2025-03-02T16:57+00:00

Vicky Losada celebrates with her teammates after putting Albion 2-1 in front. 📷 by Kyle Hemsley.

Albion secured a brilliant point against the WSL's unbeaten leaders Chelsea with a 2-2 draw at Broadfield Stadium on Sunday.

The hosts were 2-1 in front at the break thanks to goals from Marisa Olislagers and Vicky Losada, but Lauren James ensured her team came away with something from the game when she tapped in midway through the second half.

Chelsea were looking to extend their four-game winning run over Albion and Sandy Baltimore volleyed the Blues in front with a fabulous strike into the top right corner from James’s cross.

But Albion were undeterred and looked as if they’d equalised after 18 minutes. Madison Haley pulled the ball back into the six-yard box for Nadine Noordam to flick with her instep, but it flew narrowly wide of the bottom left corner with Chelsea keeper Hannah Hampton rooted to the spot.

Albion’s momentum would be rewarded though. Nikita Parris slid the ball down the left of the box for Olislagers who rifled the ball into the opposite bottom corner.

Marisa Olislagers rifled home to equalise for Albion. 📷 by Kyle Hemsley.

Chelsea looked unsettled and despite James wasting a decent chance with a weak lob that was easily gathered by Melina Loeck, Albion were in the ascendancy as Parris headed narrowly over from McLauchlan’s header before Fran Kirby was denied by Hampton in a one-v-one.

Albion found joy on both flanks in the opening 45 minutes and McLauchlan capitalised. She got to the byline and cut it back, Parris showed her awareness to let the ball run through her legs and Losada passed the ball into the back of the net three minutes before the break.

Vicky Losada showed composure to slot in. 📷 by Kyle Hemsley.

Chelsea looked reinvigorated after the restart and were level with just over an hour gone when Lauren James diverted the ball in from Mayra Ramirez's low effort.

Noordam curled just wide of the top right corner but the pendulum had swung in Chelsea's favour. Melina Loeck pulled off a decent save to tip away Johanna Rytting Kaneryd's curler, as Chelsea looked to avoid dropping points for only the second time this season.

James's free-kick from 25 yards drifted narrowly wide of goal, but half chances for the Blues were dealt with well by Loeck. Aggie Beever-Jones sent Ramirez's pullback over the bar from close before Albion's German stopper got down low to keep out James's strike from eight yards.

Fran Kirby was coming up against Chelsea for the first time since departing the Blues. 📷 by Kyle Hemsley.

Nine minutes of stoppage time might have seen lesser teams wilt, but Albion showed their game management skills to see out the result.

'We had to dig deep'

Women's first-team head coach Dario Vidosic said, " We put in a lot of effort, intensity and had a good belief in how we play. We took a lot of confidence the first time we matched up [earlier this season]. I thought we were probably a little bit unlucky that day as well to maybe not come out with a different result.

"Especially in the first half, we were really, really good. We created lots of chances - we were probably a little bit unlucky to not go 3-1 up. We had a couple of chances early in the second half. Fran going one-on-one and it just didn't fall our way even after the rebound. But it was really pleasing.

"We had to dig deep towards the end and there was a lot of tired legs out there. We had girls coming back from injury who were building up their fitness. So we knew it was going to be a tough one. We knew we had to dig deep.

"I am really pleased with the performance and I know we can be better and we will be better, but I think it's also that mental side where we're 2-1 up against the reigning champions, undefeated, they haven't lost. So it's just, how do we just continue doing what we were doing in the first half? But that's all part of it. We'll gain a lot from this game."

'We leave Broadfield Stadium frustrated'

Speaking to Chelsea's club media after the game, head coach Sonia Bompastor said, "Of course, disappointed and frustrated about the result. We didn't start the game with the right intentions.

"You could feel the difference between the first half and the second half for us. We were able to score quickly, but we need to realise football is a game about being efficient, scoring goals and keeping good possession of the ball.

"If you want to hurt the opposition, you need to have sometimes more of a vertical game and be able to play the balls behind the backline, especially in the first half.

"We were brave in the build up and we possessed the ball, which is good, but when you have the opportunity to play forward that's where you can hurt the opposition. Instead of playing wide or back, you invite the opposition to press you."

Albion team: Loeck, McLauchlan (Bremer 76), Thorisdottir, Begsvand, Pattinson, Olislagers (Hayes 90+5), Noordam, Losada (Stefanovic 68), Kirby (Seike 76), Parris, Haley.