Is Aggie Beever-Jones making case to be Chelsea & England number nine?

When Women's Super League champions Chelsea suffered another injury blow days before the start of the season, their title bid suddenly looked a bit vulnerable.

With striker Mayra Ramirez ruled out for the next few months and star forward Sam Kerr still on the comeback trail from her own long-term injury, were Chelsea a bit short up front? Think again.

England striker Aggie Beever-Jones, with a goal in each of the first four games - the first Chelsea player to do so in the WSL - has dispelled any doubts.

On Sunday her majestic free-kick put Chelsea on their way to a fourth win in four games as they maintained their two-point lead at the top of the table.

"I don't think anyone would have picked her to be the WSL's top goalscorer before the season started, but I don't think her form is surprising, with the way she conducts herself and how hard she has worked," England's all-time record goalscorer Ellen White told BBC Sport.

"Now she seems to be Chelsea's number nine. The level she is at now, it is going to be really difficult for someone to knock her off that perch, even a fully-fit Sam Kerr."

On Sunday Beever-Jones became the first Chelsea player to score in five successive WSL appearances since November 2023 - when she also happened to be the most recent Blues player to achieve that feat.

Such has been Beever-Jones' start to the campaign, Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has been able to slowly ease Kerr back into the fold, bringing her on as a substitute in the past three matches.

"What's really impressive is the fact that she can score so many different types of goal," said White.

"Her free-kick against West Ham was ridiculous, she scores great headers, plus she is great technically and her fitness levels are great."

Former Chelsea midfielder Fara Williams told the BBC's Women's Football Show that Beever-Jones' progression has been "phenomenal".

She said: "When you look at Aggie Beever-Jones in terms of her development, in the last few seasons she's been that bit-part player that has come into the team.

"With the injuries to Ramirez, and Sam Kerr just coming back, she's now getting a run of games and it shows the confidence. This time last year she wouldn't have been stepping up to take that free-kick."

Bompastor is more than aware of Beever-Jones' goalscoring prowess, having seen her end last season as Chelsea's top scorer in all competitions with 13 goals - coming from 22 starts and 13 substitute appearances.

But she was quick to praise her again on Sunday, describing her as "great for the team".

The Frenchwoman does not usually select two out-and-out strikers so will have a big decision to make when Kerr is ready to start.

"At the moment with Aggie, you would not take her off," said White. "It is more a case of adding to her, to help the team improve."

Chelsea have broken their transfer record multiple times in recent seasons, most recently on USA forward Alyssa Thompson, but Beever-Jones is one of their few academy products in the first-team squad.

Having made her senior Chelsea debut in January 2021, she signed her first professional contract on her 18th birthday in July 2021 but was loaned out to Championship side Bristol City the following season.

She spent the 2022-23 campaign on loan again, this time at fellow WSL club Everton, but on her return to Chelsea then manager Emma Hayes said she had come back a first-team player.

"It's not been straightforward for her at Chelsea. That shows her resilience and the desire she has of wanting to be the best," said White.

"What she is doing is really exciting. She is English, she is a homegrown talent and, when you think about the amount being spent on transfers and million-pound signings coming into our league, it is great to see a young English talent that is thriving in this Chelsea team. It is really exciting for our national team as well."

On her first start for the Lionesses she scored a 30-minute hat-trick against Portugal at Wembley in May, while she made three substitute appearances during England's triumphant Euros campaign in the summer, scoring once and setting up one goal - both against Wales.

Beever-Jones, who has scored two more league goals than Alessia Russo and three more than Agyemang this season, could get her next chance this month when England face Brazil and Australia in friendlies.

"If she is scoring the way she is, she will get those opportunities and she is going to be pushing Alessia Russo, and Agyemang too," said White.

"Maybe it will be Aggie Beever-Jones who will be first to come on now. She is knocking on the door, saying 'look at me, I am here' to try to get up that pecking order."

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