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Chelsea Women's Player Ratings vs Crystal Palace: Catarina Macario hosts the show. USWNT star nets twice and Mia Fishel scores first goal since ACL injury as Blues move one step closer to WSL title
It was a night all about the club's American stars, with Naomi Girma also returning to the starting lineup after suffering an injury in her debut.
Catarina Macario was a thorn in Crystal Palace's side all night as Chelsea moved one step closer to a sixth consecutive Women's Super League title. The Blues need just four points from their final three games to retain their crown since 2020, with Macario's brace and first goals since injury from Guro Reiten and Mia Fishel giving Sonia Bompastor all three points in a comfortable 4-0 win. It was a dominant performance from Chelsea, who created plenty of chances without conceding a single point of note at the other end, and when Reiten broke the deadlock after 22 minutes, they only looked to get better. Macario doubled their lead two minutes later with a clever finish, then her deflected free-kick made it three, awarded after Alisson Swaby was sent off. after bringing down Sjoek Nuskens as he raced towards goal. It was a performance and result that would have served as a perfect tonic for Chelsea after their 4-1 defeat to Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at the weekend, but it was also a valuable exit for many other reasons. Naomi Girma made her first start since injury, Reiten marked her return to the starting XI with a goal, and Maylis Mpom also returned from a quadruple injury in the second half. But the most emotional moment of the night was undoubtedly provided by Fishel, who scored his first goal 15 months after recovering from a devastating ACL tear.