Back to WSL action: Chelsea v Aston Villa preview

While Dali and Daly are their most creative players in the attack, leading Aston Villa in both goals and assists, Swiss international Alisha Lehmann, and veteran midfielder Rachel Corsie influence matches in more ways than one. The next two contests for Chelsea are vital in its pursuit of the unbeaten Gunners who are playing some phenomenal football in the beginning months of the season. Aston Villa at home was a match that almost slipped away for the Blues in the last campaign, but unlike the form Chelsea was going into that game with, the Blues have been extremely fluid on both sides of the ball since their loss to Liverpool to open their campaign.

Looking into the past does not give the Blues a hint of what they are going to expect. Daly is a complete player who started for England over the summer. Her speed and relentlessness she demonstrated for the Houston Dash carried over to the WSL as she began a new chapter in her home country. Two essential games in the league are on the horizon, and as Chelsea seeks to continue this run of form, it is hard to not think about this fixture against Villa without mentioning the way it concluded last year. Whether it is Kerr finding the back of the net, or Sophie Ingle dicing up Vllaznia during the mid-week, Chelsea is pushing all the right buttons in all competitions with its key leader missing on the sideline.