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      Hope Powell ‘sad’ to see Ellie Brazil sustain ACL injury with Tottenham boss Skinner ‘gutted’ for the Spurs ace

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      HOPE POWELL says she feels sad to see Ellie Brazil’s season ended by an anterior cruciate ligament injury.The Tottenham ace, 23, and former Brighton forward sustained knee ligament damage during Spurs’ match against Manchester City.
      Ellie Brazil sustained a knee injury during Tottenham’s 3-0 loss to Manchester City in the WSLCredit: Getty
      Brazil’s former boss Hope Powell described her injury as a massive blowCredit: Reuters
      Her injury in Tottenham’s fourth WSL game this term occurred during a duel for the ball with Man City goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck last Saturday.
      It saw her season end early after playing four games for Rehanne Skinner’s side.
      And it occurred almost three years after Brazil, who sealed a two-year move to the North London club from the Seagulls this summer, suffered an ACL injury in her other knee.
      Powell, 55, whose team plays Spurs on Sunday said: “It’s a massive blow and I feel really, really sad for her.
      “She got injured during her time with us and worked really hard to get back and found her form. It’s why Tottenham came in for her.
      “Now to do it again and it’s the other leg is just really unlucky and we feel really sad for her.
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      “I know the staff and the players will reach out. We just want to wish her well and wish her a speedy recovery.”
      Spurs boss Skinner, 42, says the club will be supporting Brazil with her journey to recovery.
      Skinner said: “She’s an exciting, talented player. I was gutted for her as she has worked incredibly hard to get back to being fit.
      “She was in a really good place for us leading into this game.
      “Unfortunately, it was one of those moments where it was just a little bit of a lack of control on the landing after the impact.
      “She’s doing as well as can be in the circumstances. It’s always difficult for players to be out for chunks of time.
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      “In terms of her personally, the journey ahead is going to be the bit that’s the most important thing and the support that the club gives her.
      “We’ll do everything that we need to do to get her on track.”
      Brazil, who began her senior playing career at Birmingham City in 2016, made 59 appearances for Albion over a year period from 2018 to this year.”
      The forward’s tenacious playing style and versatility saw her attract interest from Spurs.
      The club, who are currently finished fifth last season, their highest finish in the WSL since their promotion to the league in 2019.
      Tottenham will play Brighton away next in the WSLCredit: Getty More

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      Arsenal 3 Zurich 1: Nobbs scores a stunner and Hurtig nets her first Gunners brace as WSL leaders thwart Zurich

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      JORDAN NOBBS belted in a wondergoal and capped her first Champions League start of the season in style as Arsenal survived a Zurich fightback. Lina Hurtig bagged a brace as the Gunners marked their 100th game in the contest with a 3-0 victory at the Emirates.
      Jordan Nobbs’ superb strike saw her net her first Champions League group-stage goal this termCredit: Getty
      Lina Hurtig scored twice against Zurich in her first start for ArsenalCredit: Getty
      Arsenal are now two points clear at the top of Group C after two wins in two games and a convincing victory watched by a 5,397-strong crowd.
      They have been beaten just once in their last 14 games played at home with their last loss occurring against Chelsea in the FA Cup in April.  
      Meanwhile, former Gunners boss Joe Montemurro steered Juventus to a 1-1 draw with Lyon with the French giants third with just a point from two outings. 
      Jonas Eidevall made seven changes to the Arsenal side that hammered the tournament record winners 5-1 with Vivianne Miedema returning to his first 11. 
      The Gunners gaffer, whose team have played three games in eight days, gave starts to Nobbs, Mana Iwabuchi, and Hurtig who shone in her first start for the club. 
      Eidevall said: “I thought with us coming off a pretty tight playing schedule it was important for us to change the squad at this moment.
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      “I expected Zurich to be a little bit lower but we had to work a little more to break them down.
      “Jordan’s first goal was a prime example of her finding the right moment to go forward to attack.
      “This game really came at a moment where we needed to trust the whole squad.
      “It’s the Champions League so everything is at stake and I hope the players feel that and that trust in them.
      “When you put players on in a Champions League game it’s because you trust them.
      “I’ve been really happy with how people have been training and how the spirit has been.”
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      Arsenal’s game took place hours after Gunners’ Prem centre-back Pablo Mari was flown to hospital after being stabbed at a supermarket in Milan.
      The defender, 29, on loan at Serie A side Monza, is one of five people reported to have been attacked around 6:30 pm local time this evening.
      Eidevall added: “He is at the hospital and is alright under very sad conditions.
      “I hope he and all the other victims are as good as possible following this event.
      “I hope they can all feel the love from the Arsenal family. No person should go through things like that.”
      Jonas Eidevall’s side are now top of Group C ahead of their November duel with JuventusCredit: Reuters
      Germany legend Inka Grings, who with Beth Mead holds the record for the most goals scored at a Euros, said her Zurich side would do all they could to stress the in-form Gunners. 
      The last match between the clubs saw the Swiss side thrashed 7-2 by the WSL leaders in 2008 with Kim Little netting a hat-trick. 
      The Swiss outfit sought to frustrate their opponents from the get-go. 
      And for the first 36 minutes, they held out congesting space in the final third whilst intercepting and blocking passes when they could. 
      But their resistance was finally broken when Nobbs struck a stunning 37th-minute volleyed goal following a superb cross from Steph Catley. 
      Eidevall’s, aces who face West Ham next, doubled their advantage close to halftime with Iwabuchi teeing up Hurtig’s headed effort following some delightful footwork. 
      The second half saw Zurich look to pull one back quickly with Seraina Piubel firing wide after evading Jen Beattie. 
      Seraina Piubel netted a second-half goal for Zurich at the EmiratesCredit: Reuters
      And the forward, who has found the net five times so far this term eventually got her wish with 13 minutes of normal time remaining.
      Her shot past keeper Kaylan Marckese sparked Zurich players’ celebrations on the touchline. 
      But their joy was shortlived as the hosts restored their two-goal advantage with Stina Blackstenius’ cross turned home by Hurtig.
      And the Arsenal striker fired an injury-time effort over the bar before her side saw out the win. More

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      ‘It’s important we do not get ahead of ourselves’, says Harder after Chelsea go top of Champions League group

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      PERNILLE HARDER wants Chelsea to take things step-by-step after turning up the heat on their Champions League rivals by crushing Vllaznia.The midfield ace, who netted three goals, was reflecting on a storming Blues display with Sam Kerr scoring her first hat-trick in the contest.
      Chelsea will play Real Madrid next in the Champions League after their 8-0 thrashing of VllazniaCredit: Getty
      Sam Kerr was on target with four goals for the Blues in their second group stage gameCredit: PA
      The 8-0 drubbing of the Albanian Women’s Championship leaders at Kingsmeadow saw Chelsea move into pole position in Group A before their November duel with Real Madrid.
      Their Spanish opponents dropped points on Wednesday night after sharing the spoils of a scoreless home draw with Paris Saint-Germain.
      Harder, who netted in both halves of their home defeat of Vllaznia, wants Chelsea to stay grounded ahead of Madrid’s visit on November 23.
      The Blues star, whose side play Aston Villa in the WSL next, said: “It’s important (to be in control of the group) but we take things one game at a time.
      “We don’t get ahead of ourselves. We wanted to win the first one, now we have to win the next one, then we take it step-by-step.”
      “We know we played really well and now we just have to be even more focused.”

      Chelsea’s thrashing of underdogs Vllaznia saw Sam Kerr score four times.
      Team-mate Guro Reiten provided four assists on her 100th appearance for the WSL title-holders with summer signing Katerina Svitkova netting her first goal for the club.
      The rampant Blues saw their duel momentarily halted late on by their opponents’ raucous away fans throwing smoke bombs onto the pitch.
      Despite their side falling to a hefty loss Vllaznia’s supporters chanted loudly throughout and threw in a few pantomime boos during Chelsea’s corner kicks at their end.
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      Kerr jokingly said: “I thought they (Vllaznia’s fans) were excellent.
      “I thought about stirring them up but didn’t want them to take it the wrong way
      “I think that’s what makes football so great. When I scored the second goal down there, I was thinking about it.”
      Chelsea’s clash with Vllaznia was momentarily paused late in the game due to fans with flaresCredit: Getty More

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      Kirby set for Chelsea return and Green hails ‘mentally tough’ goalkeeper Berger ahead of Blues’ clash with Vllaznia

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      FRAN KIRBY has given Chelsea a major fitness boost with the forward set to return to action following a spell out with illness.The Blues star could be in line to feature for the team in their Champions League duel with Vllaznia.
      Fran Kirby could be set to make her first appearance for Chelsea since their 3-1 defeat of West Ham in SeptemberCredit: Getty
      Kirby and her Blues team-mates will play Vllaznia in their second Champions League group stage gameCredit: Getty
      Chelsea will face the Albanian champions at Kingsmeadow tomorrow night in their first home match in this year’s tournament.
      While the Blues will be without Jelena Cankovic, with the midfielder missing their last three games due to injury, Kirby is likely to be included in the club’s squad.
      The club’s all-time leading goal scorer has made three top-tier appearances so far this term netting three times for the WSL champs.
      General manager Paul Green said: “Jelena’s injury hasn’t settled down as quickly as we’d hoped so she won’t be available.
      ” Fran has been back in training for the last couple of days, so she’ll be one addition to the squad. 
      “She is a quality player and to have her back is fantastic and gives everybody a boost.
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      “She has been out with illness, but we’re delighted she’s now available.
      “We look forward to seeing her on Wednesday night and hopefully staying healthy for the whole season.”
      Chelsea’s second Group A game is likely to see Blues goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger make her sixth appearance across all competitions this term.
      Green hailed the German international’s recent displays between the sticks two months on from her announcing the recurrence of thyroid cancer.
      Since then, Berger has kept three clean sheets in five games.
      He added: “The way she’s handled herself in this period and such difficult circumstances is a real credit to her.
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      “She’s immensely mentally tough to cope with the cancer.
      “She’s a real inspiration to all her team-mates and somebody to really look up to with the way that she has gone about her business at such a difficult time.
      “We’re delighted with her coming back to full health and fitness on the pitch.
      “She has shown that in her performances since going back in the goal.”
      Chelsea’s game against Vllaznia’s comes six days after the nine-time Albanian National Women’s Champions fell to a 2-0 away loss to Real Madrid.
      Their visitors, who are playing the Champions League for the first time in their 12-year history have five American players in their squad.
      And the team are underdogs in a group that includes Paris Saint-Germain in addition to Madrid and the title winners of England.
      Green expects Chelsea will face a side prepared to sit deep.
      Chelsea first home Champions League game comes six days after their away win at Paris Saint-GermainCredit: Getty
      He said: “We can’t take anything for granted.
      We need to perform at our best level to be able to break down their block and get the goals that are ultimately going to win us the game.
      “They’re in the competition on their own merits and we’ve got to get the job done.
      Should the Blues progress to knockout the phase they.
      Chelsea vs Vllaznia can be watched live from 8:00 pm on DAZN’S Uefa Women’s Champions League channel on Wednesday 26 October More

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      Liverpool 0 Arsenal 2: Walti and Maanum net as Gunners defeat Reds on the road and equal WSL match win record

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      SOME headaches normally cause people to look for medicine.But in Jonas Eidevall’s case, this particular headache is a selection one – and a pleasant one to have with Arsenal beating Liverpool 2-0.
      Frida Maanum netted her second goal for Arsenal this term in their win against LiverpoolCredit: Reuters
      Lia Walti opened her WSL goal account for this season to give the Gunners the lead at Prenton ParkCredit: Alamy
      The Gunners are firing on all cylinders with a solid performance at the home of the Merseyside giants
      The result saw them nab their 12th victory in a row in the top tier.
      A win that sees them equal the league record set by themselves and Manchester City.
      To top it off, Eidevall’s high-fliers also kept their 10th clean sheet, a feat that saw them go 1003 minutes without conceding a goal.
      Among the performers who impressed for the visitors was Frida Maanum.
      The Gunners’ ace was a midfield menace alongside Kim Little and Lia Walti as Arsenal made it winning business as usual dominating the game for large spells.
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      Any hopes of the Reds stunning another WSL title chaser were snuffed out with Maanum – among today’s scorers – justifying why she is in Eidevall’s starting 11.
      The WSL ace helped Arsenal maintain winning business as usual after their 5-1 defeat of Lyon with Eidevall keeping the same line-up.
      On retaining Maanum in his side, the Arsenal chief told BBC Sport: “It’s a pleasant headache, isn’t it?
      “It’s also a really good sign for any player looking to see what you do when you don’t get opportunities.
      “People remember when you play, they don’t remember when you’re not playing so make it stick.”
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      The result saw the Gunners, with Caitlin Foord delivering a player of the match performance, in action for the third time in seven days.
      Eidevall added: “It was tricky, it is tough to play a third away game within a week. I like the heart we put on the pitch today.
      “We work extremely hard for each other.
      “We showed we matched them and we were very good at expressing ourselves on the ball. That’s the difference.”
      Gunners forward Foord said: “We had a short turnaround and a bit of travel.
      “We definitely felt it towards the end and it was a grind to see the game out.
      Caitlin Foord reckons Arsenal could won have won by a bigger marginCredit: Getty
      “But in saying that, we had plenty of chances as well and could have gone a bit ahead.”
      Matt Beard’s aces began strongly at Prenton Park refusing to be overawed.
      But the visitors got get into their groove with captain Little, Foord and Lia Walti among the players pulling the strings.
      Walti got Arsenal off the mark powering home their 15th-minute opener from the edge of the box.
      The visitors soon doubled their lead eight minutes later with Foord teeing up Maanum who netted after some nifty footwork.
      Liverpool attempted to battle their way back with some threatening corner kicks and deliveries into the box.
      They caused some problems in the visitors’ box in the second half’s opening stages and looked for a handball after Emma Koivisto’s shot struck Foord.
      Niamh Fahey sent a shot wide for Liverpool late on in the gameCredit: Reuters
      And they came close to pulling one back with Niamh Fahey firing wide of the far post before Beth Mead walloped an injury-time effort over the bar.
      The result saw Arsenal go top before Manchester United’s trip to Leicester.
      It also left Liverpool hunting for their second win of the season with a Conti Cup clash with Leicester next before a league trip to Man City.
      The Reds are currently ninth after three straight losses following their opening-day defeat of Chelsea. More

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      Jonas Eidevall unconcerned by ‘nice selection headache’ with Arsenal unbeaten in ten WSL games since January

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      JONAS EIDEVALL believes Frida Maanum has given him a nice selection headache with Arsenal eager to keep winning after hammering Lyon.The Gunners boss is determined to stay grounded following his side’s victory in the Champions League ahead of their duel with Liverpool.
      Frida Maanum impressed for the Gunners during her first start in the Champions League this seasonCredit: Getty
      Arsenal have gone ten games unbeaten in the WSL since losing 2-0 to Birmingham in JanuaryCredit: Getty
      Maanum, 23, who made 21 appearances last season, impressed on Wednesday night, netting Arsenal’s second goal in France.
      The midfielder started ahead of Vivianne Miedema with the Gunners’ all-time record scorer entering the game later as a second-half substitute.
      And the Norway ace has been given a spot in the Gunners’ starting 11 today against Liverpool in a number ten role.

      Eidevall, 39, said: “You have an obligation as a manager all the time to look at performances, in practice and when we are playing games.
      “There is no team that can write itself.
      “There is no player that is guaranteed to play, so it is a nice headache when we have a lot of players who are playing well.
      “I much rather have it that way than the other way around. We all know that competition is very important to drive us to the next level.”
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      Arsenal take on a Liverpool side eager to make their mark since their return to the WSL under Matt Beard.
      The former Chelsea and West Ham boss led the Reds to their first Women’s Super League crown in 2013 with the club retaining the title a year later.
      They did so in dramatic fashion on the last day of the season in 2014 leaping from third to top spot above the Blues and Birmingham City.
      Liverpool are yet to beat the Gunners in the WSL with Arsenal the victor in the six WSL encounters between the sides.
      The last match between the teams ended with Eidevall’s title-chasers claiming a 4-0 win in a last 16 Women’s FA Cup clash at Prenton Park in February.
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      However, he believes the scoreline was “flattering” for his side.
      And in Liverpool, he sees a well-structured team blossoming under their gaffer.
      The Arsenal boss added: “You could clearly see last season that were a very good side in the Championship.
      “They came up with a clear identity and are well organised. They have players and a coach that know what level will be expected from them.
      “We all saw in the opening weekend against Chelsea what the team is capable of.
      Liverpool are currently ninth after one win from their first three WSL games this termCredit: Getty More

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      Reaching the Champions League is Tottenham’s ‘number one’ ambition, says Rehanne Skinner

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      REHANNE SKINNER did not hold back when asked where the dream of playing in the Champions League ranks for Tottenham.It is the “No 1” ambition for the Spurs chief, who led her side to fifth spot last term, their highest finish in the WSL.
      Rehanne Skinner says competing in Europe is a goal Tottenham one day hopes to achieveCredit: Getty
      Skinner’s players are looking to pick up their second home win of the season at Brisbane RoadCredit: Getty
      Skinner was speaking a day after Chelsea inflicted a 1-0 home defeat on Paris Saint-Germain in their opening group encounter.
      That result came one night on from Arsenal humbling record eight-time winners and champions Lyon 5-1.
      Skinner, whose team host Manchester City in the WSL today, said: “Ultimately that’s where we want to get to.
      “It’s where a club the size of Tottenham should be. It’s the No 1 ambition.
      “We want to be equal in the things that the men’s team are doing to promote the overall club.
      “It’s really important our ambitions are really high.
      “We’re working incredibly hard behind the scenes to get all of the pieces of the jigsaw together, including evolving the squads over transfer windows.”
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      This year, Skinner and her staff have been working to move closer to their goal of a top-three finish.
      A tough ask with Chelsea, Arsenal and City dominating the Champions League spots for the past seven years.
      The additions of seven new players, including ex-Brighton forward Ellie Brazil, 23, and seasoned WSL stars Drew Spence, 29, and Angharad James, 28, have contributed to a positive start
      One that has seen the club win three of their four games played so far this term.
      Skinner is also keen to see Brisbane Road their new ground-share home with Leyton Orient become a fortress for her side.
      She added: “It definitely feels like a real stadium.
      “There’s been loads of work done that has made it Tottenham-branded inside, more so than outside.
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      “We’re trying to grow the fanbase and engage the community off the back of the Euros.”
      The pitch at Tottenham’s former home (The Hive) was described as “probably the worst surface in the league” by Chelsea boss Emma Hayes in April.
      Skinner added: “For us, the quality of the new pitch is superb and it’s helping us to be able to perform.”
      For Gareth Taylor, Brisbane Road is a stadium that he has fond memories of from his club and country playing days.
      It is a ground where the City manager, 49, once made an appearance for a star-studded Wales team in 1996.
      He said: “Bobby Gould had this mad idea of playing Leyton Orient when he was manager. I can remember Chris Coleman playing left wing.”
      On Tottenham’s new home, Taylor added: “There were issues with (with the pitch) with the Hive.
      Gareth Taylor’s Man City have a 100% away win rate against TottenhamCredit: Getty
      “It took a lot of hits because there were a lot of teams that played there each week.
      “But I think that the pitches (in the WSL) have improved a lot.
      “When we went to Dagenham (to play West Ham) towards the end of last season, the difference in the pitch showed.
      “They’ve invested quite a lot into the pitch. Hopefully, the standard will be the same (for the surface) for this game.” More

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      Paris Saint-Germain 0 Chelsea 1: Green hails might of Bright and the WSL after Blues beat PSG

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      PAUL GREEN praised Millie Bright for volleying Chelsea to victory as they got their Champions League trophy chase off to a flier.Her effort helped the Blues seal a gritty 1-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain with another French giant beaten by an English side.
      Millie Bright scored her second of the season across all competitions during Chelsea’s win against Paris Saint-GermainCredit: Getty
      The Blues are currently second in Group A ahead of their match against VllazniaCredit: Getty
      Blues general manager Green, who was Doncaster Rovers Belles director during Bright’s 2009 to 2014 spell at the club, said: “Millie used to be a striker when we were together at Doncaster.
      “She must have been remembering that time when the ball came to her at the back-post.
      “It was a fantastic finish, and I thought her overall performance as part of that defensive unit was really solid.
      “She’s a top player and she certainly put in a top performance.”
      The WSL title-holders’ Group A opening victory comes a day after Arsenal fired five goals past Lyon on Wednesday night.
      The French champions were run ragged as the Gunners turned on the style to claim a memorable win.
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      Goals in both spells saw Jonas Eidevall’s side dispatch the 15-time French champions.
      The club currently have several senior stars injured including Ada Hegerberg, Catarina Macario and Greidge Mbock.
      Green believes wins for the Gunners and the Blues show the strength of the Women’s Super League with both sides laying down markers for their European rivals.
      He added: “It shows how far the English league has come that ourselves and Arsenal have come to the top two teams in France and got two victories.
      “Lyon have a lot of injuries at the moment so I’m sure they’ll be back.
      “PSG are still a very strong team and they’re both very respected in Europe.
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      “Yes, the English teams have won over the last couple of evenings but there’s a long way to go in the group and a long way to go in the competition.
      “It’s a really positive thing for the English league and does show how far it’s come.
      “In years gone by it was probably unthinkable that teams would come to France and win games like this.
      “Maybe five or six years ago the English teams wouldn’t have been in that position.
      “It’s full credit to ourselves and Arsenal for the two performances.”
      Sam Kerr came close to giving the Blues an early lead in the 15th minuteCredit: Getty
      Emma Hayes, who is recovering from a hysterectomy, may not have been present on the touchline for her side’s first Champions League fixture this term.
      But it was business as usual for her aces whose efforts were watched by Neymar at the Stade Jean Bouin.  
      Bright got the ball rolling in the first-half firing Chelsea ahead in the 27th minute after Sam Kerr tested Sarah Bouhaddi with a close-range effort in the first quarter.
      The hosts were missing the services of star striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto who is recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
      Kadeisha Buchanan put in a solid shift in defence for the visitorsCredit: Getty
      They looked to hit back in the second spell with Laurine Fazer firing a volley over the bar.
      They began to pressure Chelsea in the final third with former Lyon defender Kadeisha Buchanan intercepting a 65th-minute cross from Kadidiatou Diani.
      But the visitors held out to claim a gritty win and second spot in Group A. More