Chelsea narrowly defeated Aston Villa to secure a victorious debut for Sonia Bompastor in the Women’s Super League.

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Chelsea kicked off their campaign to clinch a sixth consecutive Women’s Super League title with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over a determined Aston Villa side at Kingsmeadow.

The match marked a promising start for new manager Sonia Bompastor, who saw her Blues side put through their paces by Robert de Pauw’s spirited team. Despite the narrow scoreline, it was clear that Villa were not going to make things easy for the reigning champions.

The decisive moment came in the first half, courtesy of Johanna Rytting Kaneryd. The Swedish international’s strike proved to be the difference-maker, as De Pauw faced a disappointing start to his tenure as Villa boss.

Adding to the excitement of the new season was the debut of England star Lucy Bronze, who lined up for Chelsea after her summer move from Barcelona. Her presence in the starting eleven signalled a new era for the club.

Aston Villa had an early opportunity to take the lead when Missy Bo-Kearns, another new addition to the squad, failed to convert a promising chance from Chasity Grant’s delivery. However, Chelsea soon found their rhythm, with Guro Reiten, Kadeisha Buchanan, and Erin Cuthbert all coming close to breaking the deadlock.

The only goal of the match arrived in the 36th minute, and it was a beauty. Rytting Kaneryd drifted into a central position just outside the box, cut inside, and unleashed a stunning left-footed strike that left Villa goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo with no chance.

Despite Chelsea’s hopes that this goal would open the floodgates, Villa remained resolute and nearly snatched a late equaliser. Chelsea’s goalkeeper, Hannah Hampton, was called into action repeatedly against her former club, showcasing her skills to maintain the slender lead.

Hampton made a brilliant save to deny a header from England teammate Rachel Daly, and in a heart-stopping moment deep into stoppage time, she tipped D’Angelo’s header onto the crossbar, preserving Chelsea’s advantage.

While Villa will take plenty of positives from their gutsy performance, particularly their greater share of possession and shots on target, the crucial statistic that mattered was the scoreline. Chelsea secured the three points, keeping them firmly on track in their pursuit of yet another WSL title.