by The peak of Emma Hayes’ lineage is fast approaching and there is only one form they will be looking to take. There is still a lot to be done before Chelsea can secure their last game in the Champions League final, but the manner in which their quarter-final first-leg win over Ajax showed they would qualify for the finals.
It wasn’t pretty; it certainly wasn’t easy. That, however, is the crucial part. Chelsea were tested, they struggled to find their best rhythm, but they were patient and it paid dividends.
Ajax got the better of the starters on Tuesday, buoyed by a big crowd for the women’s game in the Netherlands, their vocal home support, and the knowledge they had a point to prove.
That point is that Ajax are at the top of their game and on their way to becoming the football talent factory that this club has long been known for in the men’s game. The arrival of their brightest talent in the form of 16-year-old Lily Yohannes was a sign that he is starting to call up the women’s team too.
Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was worried when she was chased inside the first few minutes, hoping to make a clearance, but Ajax were unable to take advantage.
It didn’t take long for them to open the scoring either, with Romee Leuchter firing an effort off the woodwork as Chelsea faced a more anxious start.
But the hosts’ momentum on their big night was short-lived as a completely amateurish error gave Chelsea the lead and gave Hayes’ side the chance to shine.
They certainly showed their maturity with the opening goal. Completely shut down Ajax, Milicia Keijzer without blocking the run of Lauren James to track down the Chelsea striker seemingly out of line. As the entire Ajax defense stood behind her as she fired a superb effort past Regina van Eijk, she looked assured.
The problem was that James had not, in fact, wasted her time – instead she had time for perfection. An early offside flag gave the home support a moment of relief, but it wasn’t long before VAR’s correct decision to give the Blues the lead soured the mood.
No moment more accurately conveys the difference between these sides than the first goal. Playing the whistle was a simple decision for Chelsea; somehow it didn’t seem to cross Ajax’s mind.
VAR came to the hosts’ aid when he disallowed Guro Reiten’s goal not long after, Sjoeke Nusken adjudged to be offside and interfering with play when Reiten took his shot, but that reversal was another minute Ajax failed. to capitalize.
Chelsea were denied second place but it didn’t last long. Reiten and Nusken reunited just minutes later, Nusken returning home on the former leader’s pen delivery. Defender Kadeisha Buchanan doing a Cruyff turn to set up the move at the venue named after the Dutch legend was the icing on the cake.
The visitors’ double was the devastating blow for Ajax, with a two-goal deficit that made it impossible to fight back. Their fluid passing eased, Chasity Grant no longer seemed able to turn Chelsea’s defenders inside out.
This is a side beaten by Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Roma reduced to doing little more than trying to prevent the deficit from widening. Even that was not possible.
With the early struggles behind them and a two-goal advantage acting as a cushion, Chelsea were much more comfortable and did a better job of keeping the ball, ending any chance for Ajax to get a foothold.
Although Chelsea still did not dazzle in the second half, routine developed on their way to victory and the win was sealed with another goal from Nusken, heading home Catarina Macario’s cross to seal the result.
It was also noteworthy that Chelsea maintained their intensity due to the fact that they are in the middle of eight games in March and still have to find a solution to a reduced squad.
British record signing Mayra Ramirez wasn’t fit, Millie Bright won’t be back before the international break, Nusken is someone who has had to play at centre-back in recent weeks to fill the gaps. The schedule is tough, but they are rising to the occasion.
Hayes was straightforward in summarizing what separated the sides, and highlighted what makes the difference to Chelsea.
“I think we definitely showed our experience,” she said. “Calm, composed, even when it’s not perfect we keep our heads, good control. I think that was the big difference tonight.”
Although the second leg against Ajax is still to be played before a likely semi-final against holders Barcelona, a 3-0 win makes the second leg little more than a formality.
Winning the Champions League is still a distant prospect, but one that is growing closer.
Combine their consistency in the Women’s Super League, their management of results in Europe, their ability to cope with a limited schedule and their excellence in every competition and it creates a promising recipe.
