Somewhere, vigils are being lit and someone is having to explain to Chelsea midfielder Wieke Kaptein and head coach Sonia Bompastor what the word “loss” means. And think of the Women’s Super League (WSL) admin having to clear the gorge of scheduled posts about Chelsea’s record 35-match unbeaten run in the WSL.Yes, Chelsea have lost their first match in 19 months, a run that stretches back to the final three matches of the triumphant 2024-25 season, and the first since Bompastor succeeded Emma Hayes last September, all thanks to Honoka Hayashi’s left foot securing a 1-0 win for Everton.It is a wildly incomprehensible stretch of time and dominance that for so long epitomised the soul of the reigning league champions: a transcendent kind of strength that simply did not entertain the idea their run could ever be broken. What does losing even mean?Well, for now, it means Chelsea — having dropped nine points in their opening 10 WSL matches, seven in their last three — are six points off league leaders Manchester City, who defeated Leicester City 3-0 on Sunday.Before going any further, there’s a danger here in overhyping this defeat as something more than it is: the demise of a league record, yes; a first loss of the Bompastor era, sure; a potential acquiesce of those title race keys to City, maybe; but also one defeat in *counts in fingers and toes* a stupidly long time.At some point, the sun sets. Dynasties crumble. Everton make 87 clearances and keep a clean sheet to your detriment.But Chelsea’s performance in front of goal has been poor a number of times this season, with the eight-time champions regularly a team huffing and puffing in the final third yet ultimately struggling to produce any clear-cut chances.The answer to why or how Chelsea’s unbeaten run came to a stuttering halt is not complex.Chelsea Women in WSL since 2022-23Season  Goals  Expected goals  Games played  2025/20261621.09102024/20255648.69222023/20247159.81222022/20236645.6222In the previous three seasons that Chelsea have gone on to win the title, they have outperformed their xG — 56 goals scored from an xG of 48.69 in 2024-25; 71 scored from an xG of 59.81 in 2023-24; 66 scored from an xG of 45.62 in 2022-23 — according to Opta.So far in this season’s 10 matches, Chelsea have scored just 16 goals from an xG of 21.09, according to Opta. Only in the 2-1 win over Manchester City (xG of 1.33) and the 4-0 win against West Ham United (xG of 2.85) have Chelsea outperformed their xG in a game.In their last three matches (1-1 draw with Arsenal, 1-1 draw with Liverpool, and 1-0 defeat to Everton), only against Arsenal did they manage an xG higher than 2. Against Liverpool and Everton respectively, their xGs were 1.11 and 1.51. In the 1-1 draw with Liverpool, they managed just one shot on target from nine attempts.Despite rallying 30 shots at Brosnan’s goal on Sunday, Chelsea managed to put only six on target, with another four smacking the woodwork. Everton’s defensive persistence deserves plaudits: Chelsea made 53 crosses with nine on target, but Everton’s 87 clearances included three off the line in the final gut-curdling minutes of the match.Chelsea Women in WSL 2025-26Opponents  Date  Total shots  Shots on target  Expected goals  Everton07/12/20253061.51Liverpool16/11/2025911.11Arsenal08/11/20251152.05London City Lionesses01/11/20251732.62Tottenham12/10/20252742.46Manchester United03/10/20251962.86West Ham28/09/202528122.85Leicester City21/09/20251081.13Aston Villa14/09/20251863.17Manchester City05/09/2025831.33There is room to ask how many times an Everton player could feel the burning exigency to hurl themselves in front of a Chelsea shot like a desperate missile defence system? At what point do you have to throw your hands up and admit the universe has a different agenda?Yet, a hallmark of Chelsea’s dominance over the past six seasons has been their ability to win or draw when not at their best, to dig into their enviable arsenal of attacking quality and pull an emergency golden thread when needed. Before Sunday, Chelsea had not failed to score in 66 consecutive WSL matches. In past seasons, that ability to pull a goal out of the ether felt like a flex of arrogance and depth. This season, it has felt more like a vulnerability, a potential gash in the armour.Sunday was the manifestation of just that.“If you want to win games, you have to make sure you score goals,” Bompastor said after the match. “If you look at our statistics, we are creating enough to win the games, but we are just not being efficient at finishing the chances. What we need to solve is more like how we can get back to scoring goals.”There can be catharsis in defeat for Chelsea, permission granted to finally abandon this high-pressure veneer of perfection. To dub Chelsea out of the title race with just six points separating them from City before Christmas would be foolish. Sunday’s defeat has likely only made Chelsea angry and potentially freer. And sometimes there are just those days.It is a cliche trotted out feverishly at the start of every season that the overall competitive needle has moved, that anyone can beat anyone. For now, this title race seems to have some juice in it; the tectonic plates are finally shifting.This article originally appeared in The Athletic.Chelsea, Women’s Soccer2025 The Athletic Media Company