Previewing the Chelsea Women’s FAWSL schedule

This past week, the FA Women’s Super League announced its schedule for all 12 teams ahead of the upcoming 2022/23 season. The Blues are looking to win a remarkable fourth straight league title, but with the emergence of even more competition every year, Chelsea is going to have its work cut out for it. Last season, the Blues began their season with Arsenal and ended with Manchester United at home, and this time around, the schedule is a lot more favorable.

Chelsea takes on West Ham United at Kingsmeadow to kick things off and it finishes the campaign with a contest on the road against Reading. The competitors for the Blues remain the same, and even with some crucial departures from teams around the league, Chelsea knows how taxing a title run can be. The all-dangerous Vivianne Miedema is back with Arsenal, signing a new contract despite being heavily linked to Barcelona. Jonas Eidevall and the Gunners will be back trying to snatch the title away from the Blues for the first time since the ’18/19 WSL season. After missing out on two domestic cup finals last season, Arsenal will be as determined as ever to succeed.

Previewing the Chelsea Women’s FAWSL schedule for the 2022/23 season

The Gunners take on the Blues on January 15, 2023, and on the second to last matchday of the season at Kingsmeadow, which could be the contest that decides the title holder. The Blues have one loss against Arsenal in their last 10 encounters, but that one loss was the first game of the WSL season back in 2021. With Beth Mead, Miedema and the 26-year-old Swedish international, Stina Blackstenius, the Gunners are going to be a threat. Despite not adding much to their roster, Eidevall possesses another title-contending team in north London.

The team that snatched a trophy away from the Blues in the second half of the season, Manchester City, has experienced a lot of roster turnover in the last few months. Chelsea takes on the Citizens on the third matchweek of the season in London and travels to Manchester on March 26, where the Blues cruised to a 4-0 victory at the beginning of last season. Man City nearly denied Chelsea of a domestic double last season, but with the losses of Lucy Bronze to Barcelona, Caroline Weir to Real Madrid and Georgia Stanway to Bayern Munich, Gareth Taylor is going to have a completely new-look squad.

Taylor still managed to replace the talent lost with several game-changing players like Atletico Madrid duo Laia Aleixandri and Deyna Castellanos, Barcelona’s Leila Ouahabi and Australian youngster, Mary Fowler. There is no doubt going to be an adjustment period with the plethora of new players. Chelsea will be taking on Man City early on in the season, so the Blues will have a chance to feel out the new-look WSL contender before many others get the chance.

As for other notable matches from outside the top-two title threats for Chelsea, the Blues will take on the newly promoted Liverpool in the second match week of the season. Chelsea travels to Brighton on October 23, where the Blues drew the Seagulls last season. They have always struggled to get a result at Broadfield Stadium. Chelsea encounters Man United at the beginning of November and on March 12. While the Blues have diced through the Red Devils’ defense in the past, Marc Skinner’s side has always given Chelsea a tough time in attack.

The first London derby against a surging Tottenham side is on November 20, while the second takes place at the beginning of February. Rehanne Skinner and Spurs have flown under the radar during the summer, making some quality signings to a team that made a whole lot of progress last season. From signing 14-year Chelsea veteran Drew Spence to adding former Brighton & Hove Albion striker Ellie Brazil on a free transfer, Spurs look to continue their ascension.

Overall, the 2022/23 FAWSL schedule is one to be excited about from a Chelsea fan perspective. From starting and ending the season with fairly favorable matchups to potentially sealing the title at home against its rival, Arsenal, there is a lot to like.

The first two contests with West Ham and Liverpool are preparation for Manchester City on the third match week, and with a packed end to 2022, the Blues have fairly manageable matchups in the league on top of trying to get out of the Champions League group stage. Even though the other competitions have not been placed throughout next season’s schedule, the path for a fourth consecutive league title is set, and the countdown to the end of May begins.