Lionesses star Lauren James inspired Chelsea to an impressive 3-0 win against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday evening.

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Chelsea beat Brighton 3-0James inspires winRamirez makes debutTELL ME MORE

After a fairly slow start to the game at The Broadfield Stadium, Chelsea were sparked into life by Guro Reiten's shot which cannoned off the woodwork. A series of chances would then fall to the likes of Lauren James and Fran Kirby, however Chelsea were ultimately left frustrated throughout much of the first half.

Moments after the restart, James would break the deadlock after firing her first-time effort into the top right corner. A goal which then opened the floodgates for the league leaders, as Kirby made up for her earlier miss and netted her second goal of the season shortly after. James would go on to add a second goal to her tally with a neat finish on her weaker right foot – just before being taken off for new signing Mayra Ramirez, who only recently completed a move from Levante.

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Lauren James: After a frustrating opening half where chances were few and fair between, it seemed like the type of game where a moment of magic would prove to be the deciding factor. Which is exactly what James delivered just seconds after the first break.

Her curling first-time finish oozed class and ultimately opened the flood gates for herself, after picking up a loose ball in the box and slotting another effort into the back of the net, this time on her right foot.

THE BIG LOSER

Sophie Baggaley: After making a strong save in the first half and her defence also looking solid throughout the vast majority of the opening moments, Baggaley was ultimately undone by a very impressive goal from James. Chelsea gained momentum after this and overwhelmed Brighton, which left the goalkeeper relatively helpless as the visitors looked to add to their tally.

Aside from the goals conceded, the shot-stopper actually prevented the scoreline getting very ugly with a number of saves throughout the final 30-minutes of the game.

Getty ImagesWHAT COMES NEXT?

Chelsea will now shift their focus to the upcoming clash against Paris FC in the Champions League. Emma Hayes' side currently sit at the top of Group D with 11 points from five games.

The Blues will return to Super League action on February 4 against Everton at Kingsmeadow.