Match ends, Chelsea Ladies 0, Manchester City Women 2.
Chelsea WomenChelsea Women0Man City WomenManchester City Women2
Leaders Manchester City Women moved six points clear of title rivals Chelsea Ladies as they maintained their winning start in Women's Super League One.
Chelsea, who lost the Women's FA Cup final to Arsenal on Saturday, saw their own 100% league record end as City earned their sixth win in six games.
England's Demi Stokes put Man City ahead before half-time before Jennifer Beattie's deflected second-half header.
Nick Cushing's side are still yet to concede a league goal so far in 2016.
South Korea forward Ji So-Yun struck the bar as Chelsea tried to get back into the game, but they suffered a big blow to their title hopes just five days on from losing their Women's FA Cup crown.
But the defending champions are four points clear of third-placed Birmingham City - who drew 0-0 with Reading - as they sit in the second Champions League qualification spot.
Manchester City Women left-back Demi Stokes: "It was great to get my first goal of the season, but the most important thing was that we won the match.
"It was a tough game, Chelsea made it hard for us, but we showed that as well as being a good attacking side we've got that nitty-gritty side to us too.
"It's really good to be getting points on the board early doors - that's what cost us last season, making a slow start to the campaign.
"And it's really important to have got three points off Chelsea, who are going to be one of our main rivals in the league."
Chelsea Ladies goal keeper Hedvig Lindahl: "The FA Cup final defeat may have taken its toll on us emotionally, but we were definitely ready for this match.
"We lost but the good thing to take from the match was that we performed much better than we did at Wembley.
"We had our chances and were a little bit unlucky at both ends of the pitch, but they were more clinical than us.
"It was a tough game, a tight game, and we could have come away with a positive result but unfortunately we couldn't do that.
"It's advantage to City, but we also lost this game to them last year and then we won the league so we can still be confident."
Line-ups
Chelsea Women
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Lindahl
- 3Blundell
- 6Fahey
- 5Flaherty
- 11Rafferty
- 4BrightBooked at 43minsSubstituted forJiat 52'minutes
- 17Chapman
- 9Aluko
- 24SpenceBooked at 4minsSubstituted forCarneyat 63'minutes
- 15EnglandSubstituted forDavisonat 52'minutes
- 14Kirby
Substitutes
- 7Davison
- 8Carney
- 10Ji
- 12Spencer
- 16Borges
- 25Bailey
- 26Rafferty
Man City Women
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Bardsley
- 2Bronze
- 6Houghton
- 23McManus
- 3Stokes
- 8Scott
- 5Beattie
- 7AsllaniSubstituted forChristiansenat 61'minutes
- 17Parris
- 16RossSubstituted forStanwayat 88'minutes
- 9DugganSubstituted forCorbozat 81'minutes
Substitutes
- 10Corboz
- 11Christiansen
- 12Stanway
- 14Tynan
- 20Campbell
- 21Hourihan
- Referee:
- Nigel Lugg
- Attendance:
- 1,518
Match Stats
Home TeamChelsea WomenAway TeamMan City Women
- Possession
- Home54%
- Away46%
- Shots
- Home11
- Away14
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away5
- Corners
- Home3
- Away7
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away11
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Chelsea Ladies 0, Manchester City Women 2.
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Attempt saved. Katie Chapman (Chelsea Ladies) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
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Corner, Chelsea Ladies. Conceded by Lucy Bronze.
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Corner, Manchester City Women. Conceded by Eniola Aluko.
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester City Women. Georgia Stanway replaces Jane Ross.
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Foul by Gilly Flaherty (Chelsea Ladies).
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Nikita Parris (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt missed. Francesca Kirby (Chelsea Ladies) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner.
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester City Women. Daphne Corboz replaces Toni Duggan.
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Attempt missed. Karen Carney (Chelsea Ladies) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the right.
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Corner, Chelsea Ladies. Conceded by Stephanie Houghton.
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Corner, Manchester City Women. Conceded by Hedvig Lindahl.
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Attempt saved. Nikita Parris (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
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Foul by Eniola Aluko (Chelsea Ladies).
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Abbie McManus (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Eniola Aluko (Chelsea Ladies) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Lucy Bronze (Manchester City Women).
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Attempt saved. Nikita Parris (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
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Gemma Davison (Chelsea Ladies) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
