Brighton and Hove Albion played well but were unable to stave off a 2-0 WSL defeat against Chelsea at the Broadfield Stadium.
The match was watched by a record crowd of 3,626 noisy fans, with Albion holding their own for the first hour of play after the 6.45pm kick-off.
Head coach Hope Powell made two changes to the Albion side beaten by Manchester United as she prepared to take on the current WSL champions.
She brought in Vea Sarri and Libby Bance for Danielle Carter, who dropped to the bench, and Jorja Fox, who was ineligible to face her parent club.
Albion started well and pressed Chelsea, using the pace of Sarri and Katie Robinson on the wings. Bance latched on to one low cross into the box but her well-struck shot was blocked by Millie Bright.
Any home nerves were tested when a challenge on Jessie Fleming by Seagulls skipper Victoria Williams led to a penalty appeal in the first half. It wasn’t given.
Meg Walsh made two good saves before the break in the Albion goal. She blocked a tight-angled effort from Niamh Charles and tipped a 20-yard screamer from Beth England over the bar.
If Chelsea ended the first half in the ascendant, they looked to be quick off the mark after the break. England struck in the 47th minute only to see her effort disallowed for offside.
Brighton fought back. Sarri fired in a cross that Ann-Katrin Berger to failed to hold and Robinson teed up Elisabeth Terland whose shot was blocked.
Almost on the hour Chelsea broke the deadlock from a corner when a header from Charles hit the bar and looked as though it bounced goal-side of the line. England was on hand to make sure.
Two minutes later and it was almost 1-1 from a corner at the other end but Terland was foiled.
Ten minutes later Robinson had another shot for Albion but the ball ended up in the side netting.
Four minutes after that, the Seagulls went closer still. A move involving Emma Kullberg, Julia Zigiotti and Lee Geum-min ended with a terrific strike from Robinson.
Berger managed to stop the shot – and Sarri was poised to pounce but just couldn’t convert the chance at the far post.
With five minutes left, Chelsea substitute Pernille Harder grabbed a decisive second goal for the Blues, whipping it in off the underside of the bar to seal all three points.
