Crystal Palace 0-7 Chelsea: Lucy Bronze scores first Blues goal in WSL demolition | OneFootball

Defending champions run riot against Women’s Super League newcomers at Selhurst Park

Lucy Bronze opened her Chelsea account as the defending Women's Super League (WSL) champions secured a 7-0 victory over newcomers Crystal Palace.

Palace defended bravely and had a few chances of their own before Aggie Beever-Jones broke the deadlock in the 38th minute of the hosts' top-flight home opener.

A dominant Chelsea returned after the break, with Bronze netting her first for the Blues three minutes into the second half before her England team-mate Lauren James tapped home 10 minutes later.

Guro Reiten added a late pair and Nathalie Bjorn also got her name on the scoresheet before substitute Catarina Macario's stoppage-time effort completed the rout.

The visitors were lucky when Indiah-Paige Riley intercepted the ball deep inside Chelsea's half, evading two black shirts before forcing Hannah Hampton into an outstretched save.

The Blues finally took the lead on the counter when Johanna Rytting Kaneryd cut back to an unmarked Beever-Jones, who fired into the bottom corner from 12 yards.

Bronze extended Chelsea's advantage three minutes after the restart as the hosts only half-cleared Ashley Lawrence's cross.

James added another 10 minutes later, tapping in substitute Mayra Ramirez's cross from a yard out as a more predictably dominant Chelsea side began to emerge.

Reiten made it four after another bit of fine build-up from the visitors as Chelsea worked the ball to substitute Macario then Wieke Kaptein, who cut back for the Norwegian to apply the 78th-minute finish.

Floodgates firmly open, Bjorn added her name to the scoresheet, before Reiten bagged her brace on the stroke of normal time.

Just as it seemed Shae Yanez had settled the scoreline by denying Ramirez, Macario pounced and prodded home the Blues' seventh.