Wieke Kaptein

Chelsea put on a demolition job, crushing Liverpool 9–1. For Swedish sharpshooter Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, it marked her first hattrick in blue. Sam Kerr was also close to a hattrick, scoring twice in the opening 20 minutes, as was Dutch rising star Wieke Kaptein.

Nineteen-year-old academy graduate Lexi Potter also made her first start. While she did not register a goal or an assist, she completed the full 90 minutes in an impressive outing. Unfortunately, this match was also not without injury concerns. Rising star Aggie Beever-Jones was forced off before the start of the second half and replaced by Lauren James, although she had already managed to get on the scoresheet.

Livia Peng joined Chelsea in the summer but has not yet had a chance to play for the Blues this season. So stepping straight into a Champions League match was a bit of a baptism of fire.

Traditional number one Hannah Hampton was slightly injured in the London derby and did not travel to Austria for the match against St. Pölten. The choice therefore fell on the young Swiss player, who handled her debut brilliantly and kept a clean sheet.

In torrential conditions at Leigh Sports Village, Manchester United held champions Chelsea to a thrilling 1–1 draw, ending the Blues’ 100% start to the WSL season. Wieke Kaptein had put Chelsea ahead early, but Anna Sandberg levelled with a superb volley to earn United just their second ever league point against the title holders. Despite late pressure and the introduction of Sam Kerr, Chelsea couldn’t find a winner, leaving both teams unbeaten ahead of their midweek Champions League fixtures.

Chelsea continued their blistering start in the Women’s Super League, dismantling West Ham 4–0 to stay perfect in their title defence. Aggie Beever-Jones lit up the game with a stunning free-kick opener, while Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Erin Cuthbert and Wieke Kaptein all added to the rout. The result also saw West Ham reduced to ten players early on, making a recovery all but impossible.