Malard double fires Chelsea Women past Crystal Palace
Chelsea Women came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 3-1 away at Sutton, with Melvine Malard the star of the show in the Women's Super League.
Sky Sports reports that Molly Bartrip put Crystal Palace ahead before Melvine Malard's double and a Sandy Baltimore goal turned things around for Sonia Bompastor's side (Sky Sports). BBC Sport adds further detail, noting that Malard not only scored twice but also won a penalty, and that the win extended Chelsea's unbeaten start to the season to seven matches in the Women's Super League (BBC Sport).
We Ain't Got No History previewed the trip to Sutton by pointing out that Palace's last WSL win had come some time ago, and drew a contrast with the men's team's result the previous day, while also reminding readers that Chelsea Women had beaten Tottenham at Stamford Bridge the weekend before (We Ain't Got No History). In their post-match reaction piece, the same outlet reflected that the days of "easy matches" in the Women's Super League appear to be over, with Palace proving a tougher test than some might have expected (We Ain't Got No History).
ChelseaFC.com covered the game from several angles, publishing the confirmed line-up before kick-off (ChelseaFC.com), a full match report on the 3-1 win (ChelseaFC.com), and video highlights of the victory (ChelseaFC.com). The official site also carried comments from Melvine Malard herself, who spoke about a "half-time wake-up call" that helped turn the match around, as well as her praise and affection for strike partner Sandy Baltimore (ChelseaFC.com).
Across the coverage there's clear agreement on the key facts: Palace led through Bartrip before Malard's brace and a Baltimore goal secured the comeback win for Chelsea. The main difference is in emphasis, with BBC Sport focusing on the significance of the result for Chelsea's unbeaten run, while We Ain't Got No History and the club's own site lean more into the context of the trip to Palace and the mood in the camp afterwards.
Chelsea Women now turn their attention to Champions League action, with Roma visiting Stamford Bridge next, while the men's side are also in action midweek away at Liverpool.
Written with the help of AI, using the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.