Marta Tejedor’s first match in charge of Birmingham turned out to be a memorable one, as they came from behind to win 3-2 at Chelsea thanks to Ellen White’s stoppage-time goal. Tejedor has said that she hopes to make significant technical improvements to her players, whose success this season has been built on defensive solidity and tactical discipline.
It has been very effective, but to move to the next level they need to add creativity and it is quite exciting that they have brought in someone who makes these things the central point of what she does. If Tejedor can add some flair to an already outstanding Birmingham machine it could be the catalyst for the title-challenging season the club has been after.All three goals were scored on the counterattack, and the winner showed the best of this team’s attacking: getting numbers forward, even in the 93rd minute away at Chelsea, and making chances. It’s a very effective way of playing – I just think it has a ceiling. White’s goal was her first of an injury-affected season, and with Rachel Williams out for the season after ACL surgery in September Birmingham have had to find a way of being effective without their two recognised strikers.
Chelsea’s 11-game winning streak came to an emphatic end, and a defence that hadn’t conceded a league goal at home since October looked vulnerable without the injured Millie Bright. Of the three goals they conceded, Birmingham’s second – scored by Lucy Quinn – was a pretty decent strike.That said, I’d have liked the keeper to at least go for it, and see how close she got – but for the first and third the defending was lackadaisical. They seemed to be playing with heavy legs and heavy heads. Of course they missed Bright, a big centre-half who pulls the strings at the back, but they just didn’t seem to be working as a unit, which is unacceptable. Carly Telford started in goal for the first time in the WSL since November, with the new signing Ann-Katrin Berger on the bench and the normal first-choice Hedvig Lindahl not in the squad. There is incredible competition for that place at the moment and Carly will be disappointed to have been part of a back five that let in three goals.On the plus side Erin Cuthbert, who scored both the goals in Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Arsenal, continued her scoring form with another brace, the first a diving header and the second a cross-shot that crept in at the far post.The FA Women’s Super League (@FAWSL)Oh @erincuthbert_