It’s the big one this weekend – the match that, even at this stage of the season, could be a major factor in the league outcome.
Arsenal take on Chelsea Women at the Emirates on Sunday lunchtime in front of a crowd expected to top 40,000, with the Gunners growing in confidence and manager Jonas Eidevall unbeaten in both his previous home WSL clashes with Emma Hayes.
Guaranteed a place in the starting line-up for the Blues is Lauren James who tops the WSL scoring table with six… five of those coming in the last two matches alone.
Yet she has never scored against Arsenal, the club she made five appearances for as a 16-year-old before her move to Man Utd and, in 2021, Chelsea.
The Blues are still on a roll, having won 14 of their last 15 WSL games, scoring five goals in both of the last matches. The only team to ever score five goals in three consecutive games? Arsenal!
The teams sit first and second in the table, with three points separating them, and Hayes is hopeful of extending the gap, but realistic about the challenge.
“The team have been tremendous this entire block, and once again we look threatening going forward and once again we’ve got a variety of goal scorers,” she said.
“To keep producing performances and getting results like we do – we are averaging four or five goals a game – is probably the best we have been going forward for a long time, in my eyes.”
Fran Kirby, who scored in England’s 6-0 win against Scotland this week, is regaining full fitness and pace. “Her presence and her ability to link up her, Sam [Kerr] and LJ [Lauren James] at times is absolutely brilliant,” said the manager.
There is also a chance that Millie Bright and Guro Reiten will be back in the squad for Sunday’s game. “I’m hopeful,” said Hayes.
The Arsenal v Chelsea match is live on BBC Two at 12.15pm.
After Arsenal, the next game for Chelsea Women is Thursday evening’s Champions League clash with the Swedish side Hacken at Stamford Bridge. Tickets for all Chelsea Women’s games are available here.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
