Chelsea began their defence of the Women’s Super League title with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Manchester City at Stamford Bridge, laying down an early marker against one of their main rivals.
The result extends manager Sonia Bompastor’s unbeaten record in domestic competitions into a second season.
The breakthrough came after 31 minutes when new signing Ellie Carpenter, making her debut at the Bridge, surged forward from wing-back and delivered a pinpoint cross for Aggie Beever-Jones.
The striker, fresh from a pre-season hat-trick, powered her finish past Ayaka Yamashita to give the Blues a deserved lead after dominating possession.
Manchester City responded immediately, with Khadija Shaw forcing Hannah Hampton into a strong save and Alex Greenwood striking the crossbar from a free-kick.
Despite the pressure, Chelsea carried their advantage into half-time, with Carpenter continuing to torment the City defence.
The hosts doubled their lead on 64 minutes after substitute Catarina Macario sparked a flowing move. Wieke Kaptein’s cross from the right was cleverly left by Macario, allowing Maika Hamano to fire in from close range and put Chelsea in control.
The visitors struck back just six minutes later when a City free-kick into the box was met by Niamh Charles, who inadvertently headed into her own net.
With the deficit reduced to one, City pushed forward and forced Hampton into several crucial saves, most notably from substitute Lily Murphy.
Tensions rose in the closing stages as both Greenwood and Murphy suffered late injuries, with stoppage time extending the match beyond 100 minutes.
Chelsea defended resolutely under pressure and held on for all three points on the opening day.
It was also a special occasion off the pitch, as England’s European champions paraded their trophy alongside City’s Lionesses before kick-off.
New signing Alyssa Thompson was introduced to supporters, adding to the sense of occasion under the Stamford Bridge lights.
Chelsea now travel to Villa Park on 14 September to face Aston Villa, while Manchester City will look to recover quickly after an early setback in their own title push.
