Mia Fishel marked a heartwarming moment in her comeback journey, scoring her first goal since a long-term ACL injury, as her Chelsea Women's side swept aside Crystal Palace with a dominant 4-0 victory on Wednesday night. The win takes the Blues a significant step closer to securing their sixth consecutive Women's Super League title.
It was a performance brimming with American influence for Emma Hayes' side, with Catarina Macario orchestrating proceedings with a brilliant two goal performance. Fellow USWNT star Naomi Girma also made her return to the starting XI, having recovered from an injury sustained on her debut.
Chelsea were in control from the outset at Kingsmeadow, creating a flurry of chances while resolutely denying Crystal Palace any meaningful opportunities. The deadlock was broken in the 22nd minute when Guro Reiten converted from the penalty spot after her cross was handled in the box.
The floodgates seemingly opened from that point. Just two minutes later, Macario doubled the lead with a composed finish. The American star was instrumental again as her deflected free-kick made it three shortly after half-time. The free-kick was awarded after Palace's Allyson Swaby was shown a straight red card for bringing down Sjoeke Nusken who was racing clear on goal.
While the dominant performance and emphatic result served as the perfect response to their heavy Champions League semi-final first-leg defeat to Barcelona at the weekend, the night held significance for several returning Chelsea players. Alongside Girma and Reiten marking their comebacks with influential performances, Maelys Mpome also returned from a quad injury in the second half.
However, the loudest cheer of the night was undoubtedly reserved for Fishel. The young American forward, who has been sidelined for 15 months after suffering a devastating ACL tear, finally found the back of the net, sparking joyous celebrations amongst her teammates and the Kingsmeadow faithful. Her goal, a testament to her resilience and determination, capped off a resounding victory for Chelsea as they edge closer to another WSL crown. They now require just four points from their remaining three league matches to retain the title they have held since 2020.
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