Miedema double gives City edge as Chelsea's run ends

Chelsea's unbeaten run under manager Sonia Bompastor came to a limp end at the Academy Stadium as two goals from the majestic Vivianne Miedema earned Manchester City a 2-0 win over their bitter rivals in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

- Suzanne Wrack

In the second of four consecutive meetings between the two teams, a gutsy performance from an injury-hit City and two goals from the WSL record goalscorer gave them an assured lead going into next Thursday's second leg at Stamford Bridge.

What strategy do you use in the second of four chess matches against the same opponent? Ultimately, with Miedema on the pitch it doesn't really matter.

City had caused Chelsea plenty of problems in their League Cup final defeat to Sonia Bompastor's side at Pride Park, edging possession stats and accruing 36 touches in the opposition's box to Chelsea's 15.

Temporary manager Nick Cushing, brought back in ahead of this run of four games between the sides following the sacking of Gareth Taylor, would have had a legitimate case for sticking to the same formula adopted in Derby. However, enforced changes meant that was not an option.

If the odds were stacked in unbeaten Chelsea's favour, they were weighted further their way when the team news arrived. Cushing's side were without influential striker Khadija Shaw and Aoba Fujino, the scorer of City's equaliser in their 2-1 loss to Bompastor's side in the cup final on Saturday. Meanwhile, former Arsenal forward Vivianne Miedema was named on the bench.

For Chelsea, players returned, with Keira Walsh and Aggie Beever-Jones named in the starting XI ahead of Sjoeke Nüsken and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd.