Match ends, Bristol City Women 0, Chelsea Women 5.
Bristol City WomenBristol City Women0Chelsea WomenChelsea Women5
Women's Super League leaders Chelsea went five points clear with a dominant win at bottom side Bristol City.
Fran Kirby's deft header from Sam Kerr's corner put the Blues ahead before Pernille Harder smashed in.
Kirby followed up with a neat finish after one of many fine saves from Sophie Baggaley before Jonna Andersson's dinked shot hit the bar.
After the break, Bethany England delivered a pinpoint cross for Kerr to head in and then scrambled in a fifth.
After Manchester City closed the gap at the top with their seventh straight win in the Manchester derby on Friday, Chelsea took their chance to restore their five-point lead, having played a game more, with an eighth league win in nine.
After taking two points from their first 11 matches, the Robins' fortunes had improved, claiming a first win of the season against Brighton and booking a Continental League Cup final meeting with Chelsea, but there was only one winner after Kirby's opener.
Tenacious work from Sophie Ingle allowed Harder to rifle in her third goal in two games before Kirby slotted her 11th of the season after Baggaley's diving stop had prevented an own goal.
As the rain hammered down after the break, Kerr headed in to join Kirby on 11 goals for the campaign before England bundled in Harder's cross at the second attempt after another fine stop from Baggaley.
The damage would have been worse but for the City keeper, who stopped Harder's close-range effort early on and dived at full stretch to deny Kirby a hat-trick.
Line-ups
Bristol City Women
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 1Baggaley
- 12AllenSubstituted forBrysonat 68'minutes
- 29Skeels
- 3Evans
- 23Purfield
- 4MatthewsSubstituted forPalmerat 53'minutes
- 11Wellings
- 8HumphreySubstituted forBissellat 74'minutes
- 7Pike
- 10DanielsSubstituted forHarrisonat 74'minutes
- 9Salmon
Substitutes
- 2Bryson
- 5Rafferty
- 13Haland
- 14Palmer
- 17Bissell
- 18Collis
- 21Harrison
- 26Mastrantonio
- 28Jones
Chelsea Women
Formation 4-1-3-2
- 30Berger
- 18Mjelde
- 4Bright
- 16Eriksson
- 25Andersson
- 5IngleSubstituted forSpenceat 82'minutes
- 14KirbySubstituted forCuthbertat 69'minutes
- 23HarderSubstituted forFlemingat 82'minutes
- 10JiSubstituted forReitenat 69'minutes
- 20Kerr
- 9England
Substitutes
- 3Blundell
- 7Carter
- 11Reiten
- 17Fleming
- 22Cuthbert
- 24Spence
- 28Telford
- Referee:
- Emily Heaslip
Match Stats
Home TeamBristol City WomenAway TeamChelsea Women
- Possession
- Home28%
- Away72%
- Shots
- Home2
- Away24
- Shots on Target
- Home0
- Away9
- Corners
- Home2
- Away8
- Fouls
- Home1
- Away8
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Bristol City Women 0, Chelsea Women 5.
Post update
Attempt missed. Guro Reiten (Chelsea Women) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Sam Kerr.
Post update
Corner, Chelsea Women. Conceded by Gemma Evans.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Sam Kerr (Chelsea Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Post update
Corner, Chelsea Women. Conceded by Kiera Skeels.
Post update
Offside, Bristol City Women. Abigail Harrison tries a through ball, but Ebony Salmon is caught offside.
Post update
Attempt missed. Magdalena Eriksson (Chelsea Women) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Guro Reiten with a cross following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Chelsea Women. Conceded by Kiera Skeels.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Guro Reiten (Chelsea Women) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Erin Cuthbert.
Substitution
Substitution, Chelsea Women. Drew Spence replaces Sophie Ingle.
Substitution
Substitution, Chelsea Women. Jessie Fleming replaces Pernille Harder.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea Women) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Sam Kerr.
Post update
Corner, Chelsea Women. Conceded by Kiera Skeels.
Substitution
Substitution, Bristol City Women. Emma Bissell replaces Carla Humphrey.
Substitution
Substitution, Bristol City Women. Abigail Harrison replaces Yana Daniels.
Post update
Foul by Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea Women).
Post update
Yana Daniels (Bristol City Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Chelsea Women. Guro Reiten replaces Ji So-Yun.
Substitution
Substitution, Chelsea Women. Erin Cuthbert replaces Fran Kirby.
