New coach Bompastor leads Chelsea to opening WSL win

They are still waiting for their Australian ace Sam Kerr to get back to fitness, but champions Chelsea have just about managed to get by without her as they launched the 2024-25 Women's Super League with a nervy win.

Kicking off their bid for a sixth straight title, Chelsea beat Aston Villa 1-0 at home as a goal from Johanna Rytting Kaneryd gave their new coach Sonia Bompastor all three points in her first league game in charge.

The 44-year-old Frenchwoman, who took over the reins from the all-conquering Emma Hayes, saw her new side edge to an unconvincing victory courtesy of Rytting Kaneryd's excellent solo goal late in the first half, steering the ball beyond Villa goalkeeper Sabrina D'Angelo in a moment of rare quality

Chelsea began brightly enough, with winger Guro Reiten firing two efforts just wide, but Villa had a few chances of their own in an even first half.

Sweden's Rytting Kaneryd fired Chelsea into the lead in the 37th minute, scything from left to right across the box before pulling the ball back onto her left foot and curling the ball into the top-left corner for an exquisite finish.

Villa's Rachel Daly almost pulled her side level early in the second half, but her looping header from just inside the penalty area bounced off the top of the crossbar and away to safety.

The visitors looked much more robust than the side that finished seventh in the 12-team league last season, but they struggled at times with Chelsea's press, often giving the ball away in their own half.

Villa exerted plenty of pressure late on and Daly again went close with a header from a corner, but Chelsea keeper Hannah Hampton pulled off a brilliant save and followed it up shortly afterwards with another stop from fellow keeper Sabrina D'Angelo to secure the victory.

Kerr says she's in no rush to return to action as she wants to make sure she's completely recovered from her ACL tear in January which wrecked the second half of her season, but on this evidence Chelsea will be keen to have their talisman back as soon as possible.

"It's always important to start with the win. I hoped maybe we could score more goals and be more relieved. But everyone told me, 'welcome to the league' and this is why I came," Bompastor told the BBC.

"The result is always important. I want to see my team play a good style of football. It's never easy, but I want players to enjoy it on the pitch and make fans happy."