Akane Okuma Stars as Aston Villa Hold Chelsea to WSL Draw

Aston Villa earned their first Women's Super League point against Chelsea after a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with debutant goalkeeper Akane Okuma producing nine saves. The Guardian reported that Chelsea dominated the match but were denied by Okuma before Veerle Buurman's late own goal brought Villa level.

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Lauren James put Chelsea ahead in the 11th minute. Pressure on Villa's attempt to play out from the back created a loose ball, and James carried it into the penalty area before driving her finish into the roof of the net. Chelsea's aggressive start repeatedly forced errors from a Villa lineup featuring five of the club's eight summer signings.

The home side controlled 65 percent of possession and took 34 shots to Villa's seven, according to The Guardian's match report. Chelsea also recorded 57 touches in the opposition penalty area compared with five for Villa. Okuma, signed from Japanese champions INAC Kobe Leonessa, kept the deficit at one as Chelsea failed to turn that territorial advantage into further goals.

Villa's equalizer arrived in the 79th minute. Chelsea did not clear Lynn Wilms's cross, allowing Noelle Maritz to direct an effort toward goal from eight yards. Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton blocked the shot, but the ball rebounded off Buurman and crossed the line for an own goal.

Chelsea pushed for a winner, but Okuma continued to repel their attempts. Villa manager Natalia Arroyo said the goalkeeper was still settling in and learning the language, while praising her reading of the game. The draw ended a run of 12 straight WSL defeats for Villa against Chelsea and gave the visitors their first league point in the fixture.

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor said the performance and statistics made the failure to win difficult to accept. She pointed to the need for her team to be more ruthless while protecting a narrow lead. The result was a frustrating opening to Chelsea's effort to regain the WSL title after their run of six consecutive championships ended last season, while Villa left Stamford Bridge with a milestone result built largely on Okuma's debut display.