On a day where the world thought it would be seeing Sam Kerr and Ji So-yun give each other a warm embrace at the corner flag celebrating a goal, the virus that has become so embedded in day-to-day life had different plans. The Chelsea Women had the perfect opportunity at Kingsmeadow to jump Arsenal in the table with a win over their London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur. The Blues have to now wait their turn as the match that was rescheduled for Wednesday night has been postponed due to a COVID outbreak in the Spurs squad. A gutting disappointment for a team that has been waiting and waiting for a chance to become the WSL leaders.
Chelsea’s day may not come for a few weeks now since the Gunners play on the same day as the Blues on every remaining matchday. The rescheduled fixture between Spurs and Chelsea has not been announced yet, but this weekend’s London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham could now be in question, as well. If the match is postponed, the Blues could pass the Gunners with a win over Lydia Bedford and the Foxes of Leicester City this upcoming Sunday.
Chelsea Women have had their midweek match against Tottenham postponed
While the health and safety of the players comes first, this news is just another bump in the road that has been full of them throughout this season. Chelsea had its own outbreak in late December, causing it to get behind in the league schedule. Manchester City took home a commanding win over the Hammers of West Ham United on the day that was supposed to be Chelsea’s. The fact that the match will be made up is good news, but a team that is on a four-game win streak in all competitions just wants to keep on rolling.
Emma Hayes gave an update on Fran Kirby in her pre-match press conference on Wednesday. Kirby will not be available this week due to exhaustion. Chelsea’s priority is to keep her as fresh as possible ahead of the tough upcoming run of fixtures. There is no update on when she will be available for selection in the team again, but for now, the Blues seem just fine. This postponed match allows her to possibly be ready for an extra contest that she would have missed if it was played. Kirby’s veteran presence was missing on the pitch against Manchester City in Conti Cup final a few weeks ago.
This extra few days allows all of the players time before they need to suit up once again in a must-win situation with more and more names coming off the injury list lately. Captain Magdalena Eriksson, Erin Cuthbert and Maren Mjelde have all recently returned from injury, and an extra few days to continue to recover will, without a doubt, help their fitness levels in upcoming fixtures.
The path to trying to pass Arsenal has been a long one. From a loss to the Gunners in the first match of the season to a shocking result against Reading, the Blues have not had it easy as they continue their quest for a third consecutive FAWSL title, in addition to other silverware. COVID-19 and the anxiety around the virus was part of the reason why Chelsea departed the Champions League as early as it did. Ownership questions and being under sanctions handed down by the government has to have an impact on each individual mentally, as well.
There is once again a speed bump on the road to the top. While Coronavirus continues to get in the way of Chelsea’s plans, it has not stopped the team before and it will not stop it now.