Highlights: Malard stars as Chelsea come from behind to beat Crystal Palace

Elizabeth Botcherby
BBC Sport journalist

Melvine Malard scored two second-half goals as Chelsea came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 3-1 and maintain their unbeaten start to the WSL season.

The Blues trailed for the first time this campaign when Palace defender Molly Bartrip tapped in at the back post in the 20th minute for her first goal in four years.

However, a rocket of a shot from Malard brought Chelsea level shortly after the break before the France international headed her side in front in the 75th minute - her third and fourth goals of the season.

Sandy Baltimore wrapped up the three points from the penalty spot as the game ticked into the 90th minute.

Victory moves Sonia Bompastor's side to the top of the table, one point clear of Manchester City, who play away at Manchester United at 18:00 GMT on Sunday.

Crystal Palace slip to 12th, with their winless run now stretching to six matches.

Chelsea were utterly dominant in the first half and saw two efforts cleared off the line in the opening 15 minutes, with Allyson Swaby keeping out Lucy Bronze's header before two defenders swarmed Malard's low strike.

However, they found themselves behind against the run of play when Bartrip touched in Fuka Tsunoda's corner.

Malard spurned a chance to equalise immediately after half-time, missing an open goal after having her initial shot parried back to her, but quickly made amends, smashing home a right-footed strike from distance in the 51st minute.

Bethany England wasted an opportunity to restore Palace's lead against her former side, blazing over from inside the box, before Chelsea made their dominance pay, Malard nodding in Baltimore's dinked cross at the near post.

Malard was denied a hat-trick when her 84th-minute strike was chalked off for offside but won the penalty which was coolly stroked home by compatriot Baltimore.

Analysis: Malard and substitutes make the difference for Chelsea

The Chelsea dressing room was probably a little shell-shocked at half-time. Despite enjoying 72% possession and raining shots down on Pauline Peyraud-Magnin – four in the opening 15 minutes alone – they found themselves a goal down.

Their hosts had had one chance of note and converted, Chelsea guilty of switching off as Bartrip found herself entirely unmarked at the back post.

Manager Bompastor made two changes at the break – Baltimore and Erin Cuthbert replacing Alyssa Thompson and Maiko Hamano – and both proved inspired.

Cuthbert was direct and energetic in the middle of the park, embarking on a run from the halfway line to the edge of Crystal Palace's box within minutes of coming on.

It was a moment of magic from Baltimore which helped put Chelsea in front, the 26-year-old dancing down the left wing and into the box before popping an inviting ball into the path of Malard. And she stepped up to put the game to bed from the penalty spot.

Malard, meanwhile, was a nuisance for 90 minutes. Two goals, five shots on target from eight total, and 15 touches inside the box. Arguably more impressive, however, was her work-rate off the ball, using her pace to put goalkeeper Peyraud-Magnin under pressure on multiple occasions as Palace tried to play out from the back.

After coming on as a substitute to score on her debut against Birmingham, she has cemented her place in Chelsea's starting XI with three goals in her past three WSL outings.

Player of the match

S. Baltimore
8.17
7 L. Lloyd-Smith
5.68
32 M. Bartrip
5.13
25 F. Tsunoda
5.12
26 P. Peyraud-Magnin
5.00
16 H. Ladd
4.92
9 B. England
4.74
6 A. Everett
4.64
17 A. Blanchard
4.63
19 A. Larkin
4.59
22 T. Goldie
4.57
29 A. Swaby
4.54
27 S. O’Brien
3.42
4 S. Enge
3.33
3 J. Napier
3.22
Back to team tabs

After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.

More on this story