Reading 0-3 Chelsea: Player ratings as Blues secure WSL glory
By Tom Gott
Chelsea retained their WSL title with a composed 3-0 victory over Reading on Saturday which also resigned the Royals to relegation.
First-half goals from Sam Kerr and Guro Reiten put Chelsea in a dominant position and kicked off the celebrations well before the Australia star added a third late on.
Reading, needing a win to have any chance of survival, came out with real energy and were not scared of Chelsea, but it was the Blues who had the game's first real chance. Kerr found herself alone in the box just a few yards out but left the crowd stunned as she sent Eve Perisset's cross flying over the crossbar.
Reading stopper Grace Moloney was quickly called on to make an excellent save, tipping Erin Cuthbert's bending strike onto the bar, but she could do nothing to stop Kerr from burying a powerful header 18 minutes in to get one hand on the title.
Justine Vanhaevermaet missed a header of her own just moments later - the sort of opportunity you cannot afford to miss against opposition like this - as Reading served a gentle reminder that this game, and the league table, was not yet wrapped up.
Chelsea searched for a second and Lauren James, who thundered wide from a long-range volley before drawing another top save out of Moloney with another headed effort.
There was no stopping Reiten's low strike three minutes before half-time, with the ever-reliable winger making the most of a mistake from Easther Mayi Kith to give some much-needed breathing room.
Chelsea were slow out the gates for the second half but didn't need to be at their best as the gulf in quality between the two sides ensured they remained on top.
Ann-Katrin Berger did her best to cause some late drama with a sloppy touch that nearly invited a goal from Reading, but the Chelsea goalkeeper did well to wrestle the ball back and preserve her clean sheet.
To cap off the celebrations, Kerr added a third late on, striking the post before tapping home the rebound and reminding the fans watching at home of just how many titles Chelsea have won in a row.
Reading player ratings (3-4-3)
GK: Grace Moloney - 7/10 - Could do very little about the goals but made sure this game remained competitive with a number of fantastic saves.
CB: Brooke Hendrix - 5/10 - Defended admirably against James' mazy runs but ultimately came up short.
CB: Deanna Cooper - 5/10 - The former Blue was booked early in her losing battle against Kerr.
CB: Gemma Evans - 5/10 - Didn't offer enough composure on the ball to try and beat Chelsea's relentless press.
RM: Easther Mayi Kith - 4/10 - An early force down the right wing but guilty of the error that led to Reiten's first-half strike. Couldn't keep up with the Chelsea star.
CM: Jade Moore - 6/10 - Played a deeper role to try and shield Reading's defence. Did about as well as you could expect.
CM: Justine Vanhaevermaet - 4/10 - Headed over the exact sort of chance you rarely get against Chelsea. A real turning point in the game.
LM: Emma Mukandi - 6/10 - Active defensively and capable of causing some problems with her crossing. Unfortunate not to bag an assist for Vanhaevermaet's chance.
RW: Amalie Eikeland - 5/10 - Had to do a lot of defending and wasn't allowed to show her best stuff.
ST: Deanne Rose - 5/10 - Caused plenty of problems on her first start after Achilles injury but was unfortunately forced off shortly after the half-hour mark.
LW: Emma Harries - 5/10 - Tried her best to make something happen but was always facing an uphill battle.
Substitutes
Madison Perry (33' for Rose) - 5/10
Charlie Wellings (63' for Harris) - 5/10
Tia Primmer (79' for Moore) - N/A
Sanne Troelsgaard (79' for Hendrix) - N/A
Subs not used: Poulter, Wade, Caldwell, Alexander.
Manager
Kelly Chambers - 5/10 - Given a guard of honour before kick-off which, although deserved, felt a little uncomfortable on the day which decided her team's relegation. Tried to go for the win early on here but just didn't have the quality available to her.
Chelsea player ratings (4-2-3-1)
GK: Ann-Katrin Berger - 6/10 - Perhaps a little fortunate to keep a clean sheet on an outing in which she was largely uninvolved.
RB: Eve Perisset - 7/10 - Some sensational crosses which deserved to yield an assist or two.
CB: Maren Mjelde - 6/10 - Dealt with the limited threat that came her way.
CB: Magdalena Eriksson - 6/10 - A nice, relaxed send-off for Bayern-bound Eriksson.
LB: Niamh Charles - 8/10 - A relentless force down the left wing, impacting at both ends of the field.
DM: Erin Cuthbert - 7/10 - A classy, tempo-setting performance which nearly included an excellent goal.
DM: Sophie Ingle - 7/10 - Enjoyed making some gritty challenges when she wasn't pulling the strings from deep.
RM: Lauren James - 6/10 - Some typically excellent dribbling but perhaps made the wrong decision to shoot when a better pass was on.
AM: Pernille Harder - 6/10 - Not her finest performance on her farewell appearance but will still go out on a high.
LM: Guro Reiten - 9/10 - Outstanding once again. Bagged the assist for Kerr before slotting home a well-deserved goal to end a season in which her brilliance truly began to gain the recognition she deserves.
ST: Sam Kerr - 8/10 - Missed an absolute sitter but atoned for that with a thumping header to get the celebrations underway.
Substitutes
Jelena Cankovic (71' for Harder) - 6/10
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (71' for James) - 6/10
Melanie Leupolz (84' for Ingle) - N/A
Jessie Fleming (84' for Cuthbert) - N/A
Jess Carter (84' for Eriksson) - N/A
Subs not used: Musovic, Svitkova, Buchanan, Abdullina.
Manager
Emma Hayes - 7/10 - Job done.