Chelsea's sluggish start in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier against Real Sociedad will have made far from satisfying viewing for their suspended manager, Sonia Bompastor, but two goals from the new signing Melvine Malard contributed to a five-goal haul as the Blues came from behind to give themselves a three-goal cushion going into next week's return fixture.
This summer has been one of change for Chelsea – they welcomed players and fans to the new home of their cup games for the visit of the team which finished third in Liga F last season, swapping Kingsmeadow for the roomier home of AFC Wimbledon. Meanwhile, a squad overhaul has left many curious about what their play will look like this season. For this game too, there was the added blow of being without Bompastor, who served a one-match ban following her red card in Chelsea's quarter-final second leg against Arsenal last season.
Chelsea were rusty at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, their commercially focused pre-season jaunt to New Zealand and Australia perhaps not providing the best of preparatory tests prior to the start of the new season.
Their sluggishness was contrasted by Real Sociedad's sharpness and a confidence that was perhaps delivered by a 1-1 draw in pre-season with eight-time European champions OL Lyonnes and a win on penalties against Eibar 10 days prior to their trip to London.
The visiting team opened the scoring in style when a corner was cleared to the edge of the box and the forward Ainhoa MarÃn, who joined from Deportivo in the summer and prior to that was in Barcelona's B team, met it unmarked, sending a looping drive in at the far post. The lead was deserved; the Spanish side were tenacious on the ball and defensively well organised.
Despite looking far from their best, the home team drew level in the 30th minute, when Katie McCabe's corner looked to take the smallest of touches off the captain, Naomi Girma, as it was swept in. Chelsea went close to taking the lead with their next attack, but Aggie Beever-Jones' effort was powered wide.
After the break Chelsea were far better, playing with an energy that implied they had had the riot act read to them, or read it to themselves. Sjoeke Nüsken was flagged offside in their first promising attack of the second half as they began to peg Real Sociedad back.
They were rewarded for their efforts in the 54th minute and it was another set piece that delivered, when Veerle Buurman rose to head in Lauren James' corner.
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The joy was short lived, though, with the visiting team pulling level against the run of play. Chelsea were a tad unlucky that Buurman's precise sliding tackle delivered the ball to the feet of an arriving Cecilia Marcos who fired past Hannah Hampton. The Real Sociedad bench erupted and the goalscorer, who suffered back-to-back anterior cruciate ligament injuries in 2021 and 2023 and only fully rediscovered her form last season, was engulfed by her teammates.
Chelsea's experience, bench and physical superiority shone through, though, and it took the substitute Malard 12 minutes to make her mark on her Chelsea debut as they kept their momentum despite conceding. The France forward collected Nüsken's poked through-ball, sat down a defender and waited coolly for the goalkeeper to commit before rolling the ball into the empty net.
James delivered Chelsea's fourth and gave them a more comfortable lead when she turned in Ellie Carpenter's ball from close range. Carpenter delivered similarly for Malard to get her second as the clock ticked down to put the hosts a step closer to the league phase.
