Chelsea Women travel to Manchester this weekend following the short international break, determined to reach another FA Cup final.
They face Man Utd in the semi-final at Leigh Sports Village at 2.35pm on Sunday (14 April), live on the BBC.
It’s a chance to put defeat by Arsenal in the League Cup final behind them, with gaffer Emma Hayes now on the last lap of her long adventure at Chelsea.
Then, on Wednesday night (17 April), Aston Villa come to Kingsmeadow for Hayes’ penultimate match in charge at the stadium in Norbiton where she has enjoyed such success.
Only Chelsea v Bristol City remains to be played there, on Sunday 5 May. That match has been chosen for live television broadcast because of its significance for the manager.
The rest of the season’s Women’s Super League, European and (potentially) cup matches are either away fixtures, being played at Stamford Bridge, or taking place at neutral grounds.
As always, Hayes is having to juggle her squad. She needs to check if anyone has returned from international duties with injuries, and hold some players back in reserve for that impending league game, to ensure the Blues keep pace with an increasingly impressive Manchester City side.
Looming in the distance is the eagerly awaited clash with Barcelona in the Champions League semis, at Stamford Bridge on Saturday 27 April.
A big crowd is expected for the game – the second leg following the trip to Spain on 20 April. Initially, all the lower tiers of the stadium are being sold, but if the result in Barcelona is close, expect a late surge of ticket buying, and other areas will be opened up.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
