Lauren James Shines in Chelsea's 5-0 Victory Against Manchester United
Lauren James’ brilliance is no secret. Everyone in the Women’s Super League knows what she can do. And yet, she still finds ways to make people stare, shake their heads and ask the same question: how on earth did she pull that off?
Against former club Manchester United on Sunday, in a 5-0 Chelsea demolition, one moment captured it perfectly. James took the ball under pressure, tight to the touchline, seemingly boxed in. She twisted, shielded, danced. Somehow, she kept the ball in play, rode the challenges and slipped away, leaving defenders and spectators equally baffled. Around the stands, the looks said it all: “How did she do that?”
That piece of sorcery was just a detail in a performance that once again underlined her ruthless streak against United. James found the net yet again, making it five goals in five Women’s Super League games against the Red Devils. The finish was as sharp as it was simple: a dart into the box, a clever run spotted by the excellent Keira Walsh, and then a clinical strike that any seasoned centre forward would have been proud of.
Because on this occasion, James was leading the line.
She has done it before, filling in up front last season when injuries hit Chelsea. This time, Sonia Bompastor turned to her again. But this was no old-fashioned No.9 role, no static presence waiting in the penalty area. Bompastor used her as a false nine, handing James the licence to roam and trusting those around her to provide the depth.
Sjoeke Nüsken and Wieke Kaptein were tasked with the hard running, bursting beyond the defence, making sure the box was never empty. Their movement gave James the canvas she craves. She drifted left, then right, dropping off the front line to collect the ball, turning defenders, picking passes, pulling United’s shape apart.
With that freedom, her full repertoire came out. Two-footed, she could curl crosses from either flank, or step inside to shape shots that forced Phallon Tullis-Joyce into action. Every time she picked up the ball in space, United looked uncomfortable. Every time she drove at them, they looked short of answers.
It may not have been Bompastor’s ideal plan at the start of the season to use James this way. It might not even be her long-term preference. But when a player can thrive in so many roles, when she can adapt to whatever the game demands, it becomes hard to resist building around her.
The contrast with a year ago is stark. This time last season, James was only a few weeks into what became a three-and-a-half-month injury lay-off, her momentum stalled just as it seemed to be gathering pace. Now she is fit, firing and central to everything Chelsea want to be.
If she stays on the pitch and in this kind of form, she will shape more than just Chelsea’s attempt to recover from a disappointing campaign. She will be at the heart of the Lionesses’ push for World Cup glory when this season reaches its climax.
