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Aston Villa draws with Chelsea in Women's Super League opener

5 sources • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 5, 2026, 4:30 PM

Last updated Sep 5, 2026

Aston Villa draws with Chelsea in Women's Super League opener

Summary

Chelsea and Aston Villa played to a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, September 5, 2026. Lauren James opened the scoring for Chelsea in the 11th minute after capitalizing on a defensive error. Aston Villa leveled the match in the 79th minute when a close-range effort from Noelle Maritz deflected off Veerle Buurman for an own goal. Chelsea dominated large stretches of the match, including a Keira Walsh strike that hit the underside of the crossbar, but were unable to reclaim the lead. Aston Villa goalkeeper Akane Okuma made a late reaction save to deny James a potential winning goal in the final minute. The result marks the first time Aston Villa has earned a point against Chelsea in the Women's Super League, ending a streak of 12 consecutive league losses to the club.

Source Links

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By the Numbers

•Lauren James scored for Chelsea in the 11th minute.
•A 79th-minute own goal by Veerle Buurman leveled the score for Aston Villa.
•The match finished as a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.
•Akane Okuma made a critical late save to secure a point for the visitors.
•This was the first time Aston Villa earned a league point against Chelsea.

Latest Updates

4:30 PMYahoo Sports — Chelsea 1-1 Aston Villa: Blues Frustrated at the Bridge
2:03 PMBBC Sport — Chelsea drop points against Aston Villa for the first time in WSL

What they're saying

"
Chelsea were left to rue a catalogue of missed opportunities as Aston Villa escaped Stamford Bridge with a 1-1 draw in the opening Barclays Women’s Super League fixture of the season.Lauren James ga...
— Yahoo Sports

"
Aston Villa came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge as Sonia Bompastor's side were denied a winning start to their Women's Super League campaign.
— Sky Sports