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Sjoeke Nusken scored the winner for Chelsea with her second WSL goal of the season At a glance Chasity Grant puts Aston Villa ahead in the second minute Sam Kerr equalises for Chelsea with first of five goals in 15 minutes Naomi Girma and Lauren James put Blues 3-1 up Kirsty Hanson's quickfire double brings Villa level Sjoeke Nusken curls in the winner late on Chelsea up to second and boost Champions League hopes Sjoeke Nusken scored a superb late winner as Chelsea beat Aston Villa in a seven-goal thriller to move up to second in the Women's Super League. The Germany midfielder's first-time shot curled into the corner of the net to put the Blues ahead in the 82nd minute, finally breaking Villa's resistance. Victory keeps Chelsea's extremely slim title hopes alive and keeps Champions League qualification in their own hands. The defending champions were behind after less than two minutes at Kingsmeadow as Villa pounced on a sloppy pass from Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze and Chasity Grant swept home Lynn Wilms' cross. But a chaotic first half really sparked into life after 20 minutes when Sam Kerr ran on to Nusken's through ball and saw her tame shot find a way past Villa keeper Ellie Roebuck. That was the first of five goals in 15 minutes, with Chelsea taking the lead when Naomi Girma glanced Lauren James' delicious cross in at the far post before James extended the lead with a thumping 25-yard strike into the bottom corner. Villa soon hit back, though, with Kirsty Hanson converting another Wilms cross at the back post to finish off a flowing move. And Hanson's 12th league goal of the campaign, a smart near-post finish with her weaker right foot, drew them level in the 35th minute with Wilms completing a hat-trick of assists. After a whirlwind first half, the second was somewhat calmer and while Chelsea were on top for the most part, Villa almost snatched the lead with Hanson's thunderous strike from 25 yards coming back off the post, having looked destined for the top corner. However, the home side piled on the pressure as the game went on and it finally told with eight minutes remaining as Kerr teed up Nusken to bend the ball brilliantly into the far corner. Villa came close to a late equaliser but defender Anna Patten was unable to turn in a teasing cross and Chelsea held on for a crucial victory. While a seventh-straight title has looked out of reach for some time, two dropped points would have been a huge blow to Chelsea in the race for Champions League football. Failure to win would have left Sonia Bompastor's side fourth, albeit level on points with both Arsenal and Manchester United above them with just three games remaining. Instead, even with Arsenal having two games to play, they are safely back in the European places with their fate in their own hands. They did it the hard way with Bronze's uncharacteristic error handing Villa the early lead, working to put themselves into a winning position only to quickly throw it away. Villa, spearheaded by the in-form Hanson, attacked with real pace and verve on the counter but Bompastor will not have been pleased by how easily they were able to carve Chelsea open at times. There was more control in the second half and while Villa had their moments - namely Hanson's thunderbolt - Chelsea, with James pulling the strings, looked the more likely victors as the game wore on. A superbly-worked goal won it for them eventually and, given the week ahead, it could prove just the boost Chelsea need. On Wednesday at Stamford Bridge, they will attempt to overturn a two-goal deficit when they play Arsenal in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final. Then on Easter Monday they entertain Tottenham in the FA Cup quarter-finals. With the league out of reach, realistically if not mathematically, the next eight days will determine whether Chelsea are still fighting for a cup treble or if their trophy haul will be limited to the League Cup this season. Chelsea host Arsenal in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Wednesday, 1 April (20: 00 BST), trailing 3-1 after the first leg. Meanwhile, with the FA Cup this weekend followed by the international break, Aston Villa do not play again until Sunday, 26 April (14: 15 BST) when they welcome Arsenal to Villa Park. After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users. Head here to get involved Get the latest WSL news on our dedicated page Last Updated 29th March 2026 at 16: 54 Please Note: All times UK. Tables are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made. Manager: Sonia Bompastor Formation: 4 - 1 - 4 - 1 Manager: Natalia Arroyo Formation: 4 - 4 - 2 Manager: Sonia Bompastor Formation: 4 - 1 - 4 - 1 Manager: Natalia Arroyo Formation: 4 - 4 - 2 Women's Super League All competitions All competitions All competitions Match ends, Chelsea Women 4, Aston Villa Women 3. Second Half ends, Chelsea Women 4, Aston Villa Women 3. Attempt missed. Océane Deslandes (Aston Villa Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Jenna Nighswonger with a cross following a corner. Corner, Aston Villa Women. Conceded by Lucy Bronze. Attempt missed. Lexi Potter (Chelsea Women) header from very close range misses to the left. Assisted by Sandy Baltimore with a cross following a set piece situation. Substitution, Chelsea Women. Lexi Potter replaces Lauren James. Jenna Nighswonger (Aston Villa Women) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Lauren James (Chelsea Women) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Jenna Nighswonger (Aston Villa Women). Foul by Sandy Baltimore (Chelsea Women). Lynn Wilms (Aston Villa Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Niamh Charles (Chelsea Women) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Ebony Salmon (Aston Villa Women). Attempt blocked. Maya Hijikata (Aston Villa Women) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Fourth official has announced 8 minutes of added time. Offside, Chelsea Women. Sandy Baltimore is caught offside. Sjoeke Nüsken (Chelsea Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Lucia Kendall (Aston Villa Women). Offside, Chelsea Women. Lauren James is caught offside. Corner, Chelsea Women. Conceded by Sabrina D'Angelo. Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.