Why Chelsea's win over Liverpool is a first step into uncharted territory

KINGSTON, England — Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Liverpool on Sunday was more than three points in the Women’s Super League standings; it was the club’s first competitive match in 13 years without the guiding influence of general manager Paul Green, whose departure last week ended the most stable era in English women’s football.

Green, the architect of 12 domestic trophies since 2013, left the club at a moment when its season hangs in the balance. Back-to-back defeats to Arsenal and Manchester City have dented Chelsea’s title defence and jeopardised automatic qualification for next season’s Champions League. Add an impending League Cup final and ongoing FA Cup and European campaigns, and the timing of the overhaul could hardly be more delicate.

Yet inside Kingsmeadow there was little evidence of the turbulence upstairs. Sjoeke Nüsken and Lauren James, both recruited under Green’s watch, scored either side of half-time to dispatch a resolute Liverpool side and momentarily steady nerves.

“It was a tough week, to be honest,” manager Sonia Bompastor admitted. “We are all humans, and when you lose a member of your staff it hurts. We tried to focus on the game, and I think we did well considering everything that happened.”

The win was played out against an unmistakable backdrop of nostalgia and protest. Supporters had planned a pre-match demonstration against the club’s handling of Green’s exit, only for rain to force its cancellation. Instead, they marked the 13th minute with a rolling chorus of “There’s only one Paul Green” and “Paul Green, we love you,” a reminder of the emotional bond between the former GM and the fan base.

Green’s fingerprints remain everywhere: every starter on Sunday was signed or re-signed on his recommendation, and his former duties ran from travel itineraries to contract negotiations. Veteran defenders Millie Bright and striker Sam Kerr called his departure “a big, big loss” on social media, sentiments echoed across the terraces.

The 41-year-old had stayed on after Emma Hayes’ exit last summer, widely seen as the continuity link between the Hayes era and Bompastor’s new regime. Sources told ESPN that many expected Green to leave alongside Hayes; instead he remained to help bed in the French coach, only to exit one week after Bompastor signed her first Chelsea contract.

Sunday’s result papers over cracks that could widen rapidly. Ownership tensions have simmered since December’s surprise defeat to Liverpool in the reverse fixture, and one former player described the club as “unrecognisable” compared with the decade-long dynasty built by Hayes and Green.

Bompastor confirmed Chelsea will not appoint a direct replacement for Green, opting instead for a restructured model. The immediate fixtures are manageable, but the summer looms as the true litmus test. Bright, Kerr and winger Guro Reiten are all out of contract, and the transfer window will reveal whether the club can maintain its recruiting edge without the man who once crisscrossed Europe scouting targets in person.

“Being able to come here, focus on the game, put in the performance and get the result showed a lot of character,” Bompastor said. “I’m really proud of my players and all the staff.”

Character was indeed evident on the pitch, yet the path ahead remains opaque. A single victory does not answer the strategic questions left by Green’s sudden exit, nor does it heal the growing disconnect between supporters and the board. Chelsea’s win over Liverpool was a vital first step, but it is a step into territory no one at the club has navigated since 2012.