Eniola Aluko admitted Chelsea had to dig deep after her goal maintained the Blues’ 100 per cent start in FA WSL 1 against champions Liverpool.
The England international fired the League leaders ahead 10 minutes after the break at Wheatsheaf Park to secure victory for Emma Hayes’s side.
Liverpool were awarded a penalty 20 minutes from time, but Fara Williams missed the target and Aluko believes the result underlines Chelsea’s title credentials.
Chelsea 1-0 Liverpool
FA Women's Super League with BT Sport 1
Sunday 19 April
Wheatsheaf Park
By Raj Mangat
“It was one of those tough, hard-fought games where you have to concentrate for 90 minutes, and a very important three points against a fellow title contender,” she said.
“In this League you can’t really afford to drop points and our start has shown we are here to win the League.
“We had to be on the front foot, resolute and we’ve shown we’ve got an ugly side to us.
“It wasn’t our best performance, but we kept patient and hit them on the counter. I had a chance in the first half but I knew if I kept on making those runs I’d get another, and thankfully it sat up well and I lobbed the keeper.”
In the first meeting of last season’s top two, the Blues threatened first but Liverpool goalkeeper Libby Stout denied Ji So-Yun.
The visitors hit back and Natasha Dowie almost broke clear on 29 minutes, before Asisat Oshoala fired wide from distance.
Chelsea started the second half on top and went ahead on 55 minutes. Aluko raced onto Laura Coombs’ lofted pass and lifted the ball over the on-rushing Stout.
Liverpool should have levelled instantly but Asisat Oshoala blazed over from inside the box.
Williams then missed from the spot after Aluko handled the ball inside the box, and Chelsea held on for all three points.
And while Williams was left frustrated with defeat, she insists she will not be shying away from spot-kick responsibilities from now on.
She said: “It’s a disappointing result but we put in a very good performance.
“We dominated a good Chelsea team and they’ll know they’ve been in a game.
“There was only one team that wanted to win, and if we had taken one of our chances in the first half it would have been a different game.
“I’ve been practising penalties. The keeper went the wrong way but unfortunately it went just wide. But I’m still the penalty taker and the next time I’ll step up again.”
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Hedvig Lindahl, Hannah Blundell, Niamh Fahey, Gilly Flaherty, Claire Rafferty, Millie Bright, Laura Coombs, Gemma Davison, Eniola Aluko, Ji So-Yun (Jackie Groenen 84), Drew Spence.
Substitutes not used: Marie Hourihan, Ana Borges, Katie Chapman, Jodie Brett, Anne Meiwald, Marija Banusic.
Bookings: Spence, Ji So-Yun
Liverpool (4-3-3): Libby Stout, Martha Harris, Gemma Bonner, Satara Murray, Corina Schroder (Ingrid Ryland 74), Becky Easton, Fara Williams, Kate Longhurst (Katie Zelem 81), Line Smorsgard (Lucy Staniforth 74), Asisat Oshoala, Natasha Dowie.
Substitutes not used: Danielle Gibbons
Bookings: Oshoala, Easton
Referee: Constantine Hatzidakis
Attendance: 878
