Ellen White scores late winner as Birmingham City dent title-chasing Chelsea's hopes

Chelsea 2 Birmingham City 3

In a title race as taut as this one, there is no margin for error, and for Chelsea this was a slip-up the reigning champions could have barely afforded.

Erin Cuthbert’s 84th-minute leveller - a free-kick from out wide that boomeranged into the far corner - looked to have spared Chelsea’s blushes after those 30 second-half minutes where Birmingham, hugely impressive under new manager Marta Tejedor, became the first side to score past Chelsea since Arsenal in October.

In the end, Birmingham managed to do it three times, each goal more emphatic than the last. It culminated in an electrifying finale as Birmingham’s Ellen White, in her first since September 9th, floated in a 93rd-minute volley that crashed beyond Carly Telford to cap off a mightily impressive debut for Tejedor.

It would be foolish to rule out entirely the prospect of a squad as rich in talent and depth as Emma Hayes’ from mounting a late surge, but as it stands Chelsea linger six points behind leaders Manchester City and it is hard to escape the feeling that they may have just left themselves with too much to do.

Cuthbert’s lifeline had revitalised Chelsea, who probed with menace as they searched for a late winner. Each last-gasp break would be met with a Birmingham counter, both teams hurtling into chances and challenges like drivers swerving into hairpin bends.

The hosts had started so well, and probably did not expect, in the spell where Karen Carney was pinging crosses into danger zones with all the nonchalance of a bored office worker firing paper planes into a wastepaper basket, to come unstuck in such fashion.

After nutmegging Meaghan Sergeant, Carney directed a pinpoint cross onto the head of Cuthbert to break the deadlock, before Chelsea edged a taut first half with a smattering of chances. Bethany England nearly doubled the hosts’ lead with a drilled effort after latching on to Cuthbert’s ball, then Jonna Andersson laid off for England to be denied from a one-on-one against Hannah Hampton before the same fate befell Drew Spence’s low drive.

Birmingham pressed hard but did not look dangerous until Lucy Quinn’s low cross was tucked away by Emma Follis. Follis prodded Charlie Wellings’ through ball just wide but Quinn’s ambitious finish - a chip that looked set to clear the stands before it dipped behind Telford - handed Birmingham the lead.

Cuthbert thought she had salvaged her side a point on a day when Chelsea’s title rivals weathered their assignments with ease, but White had other ideas as she connected with Wellings’ cross.

Match details

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Carly Telford; Hannah Blundell, Anita Asante, Magdalena Eriksson, Jonna Andersson; Sophie Ingle, Ji So-yun; Erin Cuthbert, Drew Spence (Fran Kirby, 59), Karen Carney (Jess Carter, 69); Bethany England (Ramona Bachmann, 60).
Substitutes not used: Ann-Katrin Berger (GK), Deanna Cooper, Maren Mjelde, Adelina Engman
Goals: Cuthbert (13, 83).
Booked: Bachmann.
Birmingham City (4-2-3-1): Hannah Hampton; Meaghan Sargeant (Sarah Mayling, 45), Aoife Mannion, Kerys Harrop, Paige Williams; Hayley Ladd, Chloe Arthur; Emma Follis (Claudia Walker, 90+4), Lucy Staniforth, Charlie Wellings; Lucy Quinn (Ellen White, 69).
Substitutes not used: Brooks, Ewers, Schofield, Hayles.
Goals: Follis (36), Quinn (61), White (90+3).
Booked: Mannion.
Referee: Helen Conley.
Attendance: 2,053.