Aileen Whelan and Megan Connolly relive Brighton’s well-known victory towards Chelsea within the Ladies’s Tremendous League

It was the consequence that nobody noticed coming. Chelsea Ladies had been on a run of 33 video games unbeaten within the Barclays FA Ladies’s Tremendous League – stretching again over two years – when struggling Brighton Ladies got here to Kingsmeadow in February.

Emma Hayes’ facet had been bulldozing each group put in entrance of them and had been on target for an additional WSL title. Brighton, in the meantime, had not gained a recreation since November and had been pulled right into a relegation battle.

Reflecting on the temper at Brighton forward of the sport, midfielder Megan Connolly solely advised Sky Sports activities: “Should you checked out our outcomes beforehand, you’d see it wasn’t one of the best month. We had a variety of various groups we performed – we performed Man Metropolis, that was fairly an enormous loss, then there was Bristol Metropolis.

“After Bristol, we needed to attempt to get a win and the following group we had was Chelsea, which was form of laborious.

“I feel it was at some extent in that week main up the place we had been all-time low and it was a case of needing to choose ourselves up, decide our performances up as a group and attempt to change every thing we’re doing, return to fundamentals and get something we will from that recreation.

“We had been virtually pushed to get a consequence, to attempt to get one thing and a very good efficiency to attempt to assist us return up the desk.”

Sunday February 7 was a snowy and blustery day in Kingston, and Chelsea started completely when Sam Kerr fired the hosts forward inside 5 minutes.

However three minutes later, Brighton hit again as Aileen Whelan empathically nodded house from Connolly’s nook. It was the proper approach to mark her fiftieth look for the membership

“We might gone 1-0 down fairly early and we would gone on the assault and gained a nook,” Whelan mentioned. “We all know Megan can put the ball into the field in good areas, so I simply needed to stand there and let it hit my head actually. I went to assault the ball and we received the aim again in good time.

“And to get a aim in any respect, they’re probably not a group that permits you to rating towards them. Earlier than the sport, we had been at all-time low and we could not have gotten any worse. We might solely go up and that is what we supposed on doing. The sport plan was proper and we went out and received the win.

“I did not even learn about it [the 50th appearance] till one of many ladies advised me earlier than kick-off, nevertheless it was a great way to have fun it. There was nonetheless a great distance within the season to go and I might mirror on it on the finish of the season. However within the second, I simply knew we wanted to exit and get a consequence from the sport.”

Chelsea continued to dominate – Pernille More durable hitting the publish within the second half – however couldn’t discover a well past Hope Powell’s resolute facet. Then got here Connolly’s astonishing winner with the not often seen direct nook.

She defined: “We received a nook and the wind perhaps helped a bit of to essentially get the curl in, however we needed to get the ball proper on prime of the ‘keeper after which it received an additional little bit of whip.

“The folks within the field did a very good job to place her off as a result of it might have been simple for her to leap up, however everybody doing their function made it laborious for her to get a clear punch or catch in order that helped as properly.

“It is one of the best ever – I am going to by no means beat it. Particularly towards Chelsea with the magnitude of the sport it was for the group. It was the consequence we wanted and wished for. Contemplating how low we had been after which how excessive – you could not have written it higher, as a group, to get that win.

“You could not dream of it actually, getting an help and a aim, nevertheless it was extra so what we wanted as a group to get that win. If it did not go the way in which it did, we would not have gone on such an excellent run, as a result of it was a win towards Chelsea with the efficiency and everybody placing a shift in. It was then a case of if we do this, we will get a consequence towards anybody.”

For the primary time in over two years, Chelsea had been unable to discover a manner again towards their opponents as Brighton inflicted their solely defeat of an in any other case excellent WSL marketing campaign. It was a well-known victory for the membership and the largest upset of the 2020/21 season.

The 2 sides play the very same fixture at Kingsmeadow this weekend, stay on Sky Sports activities, however the Brighton pair are solely wanting forward and never into the previous.

“After that recreation, Chelsea appeared like one of the best group within the nation and doubtless in Europe,” Connolly mirrored. “So if you look again on it, you suppose ‘wow, that was such an enormous consequence’.

“At one level within the recreation, they made three subs and it was More durable, Kirby and Ji got here on and everybody mentioned ‘nothing adjustments, simply proceed’ and I am pondering ‘every thing adjustments!’

“You look who they bring about on, they’ve a number of the greatest gamers on this planet and we will not be naïve and suppose ‘we gained final time’. That result’s previously, it is there within the historical past books and Saturday is one other model new problem.

“Chelsea have recruited and gotten higher and it is only for us to attempt to carry out, not get too forward of ourselves and never count on what occurred final time, as a result of it is by no means going to be the identical. We simply must do our greatest, carry out properly and the result’s in historical past now.”

Whelan added: “By way of the membership’s historical past, it was the primary time we have overwhelmed one of many supposedly prime 4 groups. We’re not such a brand new group now, however we had been, and each little milestone is sweet by way of recruitment season on season.

“It is helped by way of bringing in new gamers with good high quality so it was a very good stepping stone by way of the progress we have made initially of this season.

“I feel we have to mirror on what we did properly, going into the sport on Saturday, take the positives and work on what we might have accomplished higher and do extra of the identical.”

The consequence sparked a mid-season resurgence for Brighton. They went on to win 5 of their remaining WSL video games final time period, and have gained two of their opening three initially of the present marketing campaign, seeing them fifth within the desk.

Nonetheless, they had been overwhelmed final weekend by Aston Villa. It proves as soon as once more how extremely aggressive the Ladies’s Tremendous League is turning into, which Brighton already demonstrated with their victory towards Chelsea in February.

Whelan mentioned: “We won’t be naïve concerning the groups we have performed thus far and we should always have 9 factors on the board so it is factors dropped in our eyes. However there’s going to be tougher exams than what we have confronted already so it is protecting grounded and specializing in performances, which is able to get us the factors.

“I do not even know what number of years I have been taking part in on this league now however the distinction from the begin to now could be unbelievable. The calibre of gamers which are coming in, particularly internationally, simply proves how laborious this league is.

“But it surely’s good, it is drive, it is competitors and it pushes you as a participant to be higher as properly. It is good for the league, good for ladies’s soccer but additionally good for people and groups.

“It is extra thrilling I feel, it is not as apparent as to who’s going to be the highest three. It is extra thrilling that groups who’re ranked decrease usually are pulling off large outcomes and that is making the larger groups as a result of extra switched on.”

Connolly added: “Final weekend, there was much more we might and may have accomplished. Villa had been the higher group and deserved to win. However once more, it is our efficiency, making an attempt to be constant so even on a nasty day, we discover a approach to win. But it surely’s solely three video games in so we hold making an attempt to carry out and making an attempt to get outcomes.

“Even towards the highest groups, you see the outcomes they’re having towards one another and on any day, any consequence can occur.

“We need to be laborious to beat. Chelsea have individuals who can rating a great deal of objectives, in order that’s the largest factor, being laborious to beat and also you by no means know what can occur.”

In a WSL season the place outcomes have been laborious to foretell, one other Brighton victory at Kingsmeadow can’t be dominated out, however they may actually face one other robust Chelsea facet seeking to defend their title.