Chelsea end their preseason with a 4 - 1 victory over AC Milan

Both Chelsea and AC Milan concluded their preseason today at Kingsmeadow, with Chelsea taking the 4-1 win. The game saw strong performances from both sides, with very different styles of play on show. 

📸via Sophie Granger

Starting XI:

Chelsea: Hampton, Carpenter, Bright ©, Girma, Baltimore, Walsh, Nusken, Kaneryd, Hamano, Beever-jones, Ramirez

AC Milan: Guiliani, Koivisto, Kyvåg, Arrigoni, Grimshaw ©, Mascarello, Renzotti, Ijeh, Soffia, Keijzer, De Sanders 

Many big Chelsea names were missing from the squad, including the likes of Lucy Bronze, Erin Cuthbert and Guro Reiten, and Sam Kerr who fans were hoping to see make her return. For AC Milan, their captain Christy Grimshaw returned to the starting XI after being sidelined due to an ACL injury. 

First Half:

Chelsea started the game extraordinarily strong, with early chance coming in the 3^rd minute from a cross by Rytting-Kaneryd, however it was headed wide. Ellie Carpenter made her Kingsmeadow debut for the Blues and easily fit in with Chelsea’s style of play, with the right back showing off her skills and attacking flair. AC Milan quickly responded to Chelsea’s early attack with a shot deflected behind in the 5^th minute.

The Italian side hoped to convert the corner into a goal, but the play was offside. Carpenter continued to impress into the 7^th minute as she cut out a promising AC Milan attack. Hannah Hampton also impressed early on as the game saw a big punch from her to push a Milan corner away from danger, which then turned into a Chelsea attack in the 9^th minute, thanks to Carpenter.

The game was very end to end, with Milan utilising every counterattack they could to the max. Carpenter was involved in a Chelsea attack again in the 11^th minute as a long ball from her found the feet of Aggie Beever-Jones, however a heavy touch from the striker saw the chance disappear.

Between the 10^th and 20^th minute saw heavy pressure from the WSL Champions, with it resulting in a goal in the 16^th minute for Beever-Jones due to a mistake in the Milan defence. Chelsea threatened with another goal in the 19^th minute as a free kick was given on the edge of the box in the 19^th minute, however fortunately for the Italian team Giuliani easily saved the shot.

A Chelsea corner in the 23^rd minute was almost home to a world class goal as the cross from the corner hit in the inside of the post but did not cross the line – with Millie Bright hitting the rebound over the crossbar.

A poor touch from Sandy Baltimore in the 25^th minute gifted AC Milan possession just outside the box in a promising position, and unfortunately for the left back, Milan converted it into the equalising goal!

After an impressive start to the game, Chelsea striker Mayra Ramirez pulled up with what seemed to be a hamstring injury in the 29^th minute, following some skilful play. Ramirez managed to walk off the pitch, however the injury was still a worrying sight for Chelsea, especially as it was non-contact.

Chloe Sarwie made her debut as she was subbed on in the 34^th minute for the Colombian striker and impressed the crowd early on.

Towards the end of the first half Chelsea saw another injury scare as Beever-Jones went down after having studs on the back of her achilles, however much to the crowd’s content, she played on. AC Milan played their best bits of football in the closing minutes of the first half with a counterattack in the 38^th minute, followed by a (saved) shot from Thea Kyvag in the 44^th minute.

As much as AC Milan had improved throughout the first half, their defence was still shaky as Beever-Jones scored her’s and Chelsea’s second goal in the 49^th minute to close the first half. 

First half substitutions:

18th’: van Dooren  on for Grimshaw © (AC Milan)

34th’: Sarwie on for Ramirez (Chelsea)

Second half:

Chelsea started the second half the way they ended the first, quick play and high pressure, giving them an early chance in the 48^th minute. This was quickly followed by an AC Milan counter-attack in the 49^th minute which was cut out by Carpenter.

Fans and players thought that the Blues had scored a third in the 50^th minute, however the offside flag was raised. Despite this, Chelsea kept coming with significant amounts of pressure and good chances, and this was rewarded in the 63^rd minute as Beever-Jones scored her 3^rd goal of the day, claiming her hat-trick. AC Milan were masters of the midfield as an attack saw them be rewarded with a corner, however the shot from the corner was claimed by Hampton.

Milan kept trying to pressure the Chelsea defence into a mistake, and succeeded in the 69^th minute, however before they could convert it into something bigger, Girma cleared the ball for Chelsea. Nusken attempted to extended Chelsea’s lead with a shot in the 73^rd, but a miskick saw it go over the bar.

The Blues stepped up their style of play in the 70^th-80^th minutes with them passing the ball around very quickly with crisp and fluid passes. AC Milan’s strongest attack came in the 83^rd minute, however the shot was once again dragged wide – this was becoming the story of Milan’s play.

A loopy cross in the 84^th minute almost gave Potter her first goal for Chelsea but Tornaghi got a glove to it and pushed the shot away. This wasn’t the end of the Chelsea attacks as Rytting-Kaneryd kicked home her first goal of the game, to take the scoreline to 4-1 to the treble winners.

In the 3 minutes of stoppage time, it became apparent that AC Milan had a very strong midfield, but a rocky defence and half-hearted attacks limited their chances against such a dominant Chelsea team. 

Second half substitutions:

65th’: Cernola on for Soffia (AC Milan)

73rd’: Potter on for Girma (Chelsea)

79th’: Giuliani on for Tornaghi, Donolato on for Arrigoni (AC Milan)

82nd’: Shooter on for Beever-Jones (Chelsea)

Full time thoughts:

Chelsea picked up where they left off last season, dominant, threatening, quick and crisp, looking like a team who are desperate to win the quadruple. AC Milan on the other hand had a few promising counter attacks and a very good and controlling midfield, but ultimately need to work on their defence if they hope to compete in the Champions League in the 26/27 season.