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Ellie Carpenter marked her 50th appearance in the UEFA Women’s Champions League by coming off the bench and scoring a crucial goal, helping Chelsea Women secure a 2-0 victory over Roma on Mercredi. This win elevated Chelsea to the top of the group standings alongside Arsenal and OL Lyon, all sharing seven points after three matches.
Carpenter Slots in to Give Chelsea the Lead in UWCL Deadlock
The Blues dominated the first half but were unable to break the deadlock, leading coach Sonia Bompastor to make tactical substitutions at halftime, withdrawing Lauren James and Alyssa Thompson. Carpenter’s introduction proved decisive; within six minutes, she combined with Wieke Kaptein before unleashing a powerful shot that deflected off Roma defender Winonah Heatley and slipped past goalkeeper Rachele Baldi in the 51st minute.
Chelsea maintained control for the remainder of the match, and in the 89th minute, Kadeisha Buchanan rose above her marker to convert another delivery from Kaptein, sealing the 2-0 win. Despite Buchanan’s late goal, it was Carpenter’s impact that set the tone for Chelsea’s success.
Reflecting on Carpenter’s performance, Bompastor acknowledged her influence, stating, “Ellie is performing at a good level. She is really impacting the results for us right now.”
Carpenter currently leads Chelsea in goal contributions this season, tallying four goals and three assists across all competitions. Meanwhile, Roma’s defeat saw them drop to 16th place in the UEFA rankings.
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