Chelsea teething problems, City's new style & debutant hat-trick in opening WSL

Welcome to The Counter Press, a new Sky Sports column in which Laura Hunter analyses the big talking points from the latest Women's Super League matches, bringing you closer to the key stories at the heart of the women's game.

What to expect this week:

Bompastor switches to back three

Sonia Bompastor gave us a brief glimpse into her ideal Chelsea model at the backend of last season. But we had to wait until the final matchday to get it.

Chelsea had of course already wrapped up the title by then, and the only thing left to contest was the FA Cup final, which they comfortably won 3-0, having trialed a new 3-1-4-2 system in victory over Liverpool the week prior.

Bompastor had wanted this transition much earlier in her side's evolution, but timing was key. Winning in year one was prioritised over anything else in continuum with the revered Emma Hayes era.

To break with tradition, that is to say, to prioritise style over substance, would not have sat well. But the Frenchwoman has made clear her intention is to marry a winning strategy with progressive football over time. The move to three at the back is a key part of the latter.

It's also the reason Ellie Carpenter was recruited in the summer - having worked under Bompastor in three of the Frenchwoman's five years at Lyon. "I know Ellie by heart so I was not surprised by her debut," the Blues boss reflected after Carpenter delivered the cross for Aggie Beever-Jones' timely opener on Friday night.

"It was on a plate," Beever-Jones told Sky Sports. Tireless Carpenter enjoyed the second-most touches of any Chelsea player (86, narrowly beaten by Nathalie Bjorn's 87), played the most progressive passes (9) and delivered the bulk of crosses (6).

Playing this system, with flying full-backs, and a midfield packed with technicians centrally, meant Chelsea saw more of the ball than Man City. They actually out-passed the pass-masters of the league, with an accuracy of 84 per cent to City's 82. Bompastor will deem that a big win.

But there were teething problems, too. Chelsea only landed eight efforts at goal, their lowest tally since February 2021. They had far fewer touches in the opposition box (19, to City's 30) and generated a lower xG value (1.33, to City's 1.51). Lucky two of three shots on target ended in goals, then.

Lucy Bronze revealed Chelsea's ploy to get "better numbers in midfield" on Sky Sports' live coverage on Friday, and the tactical shift worked to a certain extent - this shape has been used twice in the league under Bompastor, yielding two wins - but needs more refinement to ensure effectiveness in the final third is not compromised.

Beever-Jones, though an impressively efficient finisher, touched the ball fewer times (32) than any player on the pitch.

Jeglertz adjustments evidenced

Andree Jeglertz told me all about his approach to his new role at Man City in an exclusive sit down last week. "My leadership is about optimising, not dictating," he said. "You have to feel a part of the process, it's more than just a job, that's my biggest philosophy. There has to be clear purpose to everything we do."

He spoke about some challenges, too: "This group, in the beginning, was maybe waiting a little bit for me to tell them what to do. I don't think you develop that way. Most things the players need to be able to solve during a match themselves, and my job is to prepare them to do that."

Problem-solving during games has not necessarily ever been City's strong suit. Under Gareth Taylor, City had a rigid game model with little flexibility. A lot of the time it worked. City have always played attractive football. But their ability to match that style with consistent results has drawn criticism.

Jeglertz wants City to become less predictable, with multiple means of scoring goals, beyond the threat from wide they have become so aligned with. He wants to evoke the braveness to go direct. "Yes to play forward, win the ball high with energy, but also be able to adapt. We have so many skilful, offensive players, so I ask, 'how do I release them quickly'?"

Tweaks were evident on opening night and his ideas particularly evident in the central rotations as Lauren Hemp drifted inside, closer to Bunny Shaw. Yui Hasegawa was afforded a free role in tandem with Viv Miedema. City generated 17 efforts at goal, five on target, and three big chances - all totals surpassing Chelsea's respective columns.

Alex Greenwood played 22 passes into the final third - more than Chelsea's top three contributors combined (15).

Meanwhile, Shaw's personal xG contribution (0.56) was the best of any player on the pitch and her positional variation caused Millie Bright and Bjorn all sorts of issues, landing her first shot on target in just the third minute of the game. Her opening in the 33rd minute should have resulted in the equaliser.

"Early signs are you can see an evolution in the way Man City want to play," pundit Izzy Christiansen reflected. Expect to see less focus on pure possession, and more attention on direct and progressive play that puts City's best attacking threats in scoring positions more frequently.

Vignola's big moment

Sometimes a debut display should just be admired. The opening weekend saw plenty of eye-catching performances from the WSL's newest influx of talent, but none more impressive than Ornella Vignola for Everton.

Anfield is a stage for icons. But to score a debut hat-trick in a Merseyside derby is more like the stuff of dreams - and marks the first Evertonian since the legendary Dixie Dean in September 1931 to net a treble in this famous fixture.

But what was more impressive still was the craft with which each was dispatched. Vignola, adept with both feet, has been plucked from the new generation of winger pool. Schooled in Spain, she has both technical skill and intelligence beyond her 20 years.

"Her runs are so well-timed and the way she faces up and goes at players. She just wants to score," Brian Sorensen beamed afterwards. He'll be hoping this is just the start.