Chelsea Women look ahead: two players to keep an eye on

The wait for the Chelsea Women is nearly over. It has not been an easy road for any CFC fan during the last few weeks, but thankfully, there is some relief just around the corner. Emma Hayes and the Blues travel to the Emirates on Sunday afternoon to battle Arsenal in a critical Women’s Super League clash.

Despite the Gunners missing out on Debinha, Jonas Eidevall confirmed the signing of two attackers, Kathrine Kuhl, and 23-year-old Dutch international, Victoria Pelova. The Gunners are going to be coming into what has been reported as a sold-out Emirates with a mission to send a message to the rest of the WSL.

With the Blues in Spain for a training camp during the break, Hayes’ squad is going to be prepared for what their rivals throw at them. Bethany England has turned the page on her CFC career, while Pernille Harder remains on the sideline, meaning many of the rotational players on the bench need to step up.

Whether it was Erin Cuthbert, Sophie Ingle, or Millie Bright, there were many standout players for the Blues in the first half of the campaign, but as the second half of the season approaches, who are going to be contributors to the success of the club at the end of the season that many may not see coming? Which players do we want to see more quality from? Here are two Blues fans should keep an eye on heading into the Arsenal meeting and the rest of the campaign:

Melanie Leupolz of Chelsea

German international Melanie Leupolz put pen to paper on the latest contract extension for CFCW, confirming her place in west London until 2026. She may have yet to step on a football pitch for a competitive match since December of 2021 in the Champions League, but her quality as an all-around midfielder and set-piece specialist provides the Blues with a jolt they may not have known they needed going forward.

All eyes are going to be on Leupolz and her fitness when she does find her way back on the pitch. One of the most interesting storylines as the season gets back underway should be how Hayes is going to ease Leupolz back into the first team. Is she going to make an appearance off the bench to start things off, and when will the coaching staff feel she is ready to compete at a high level in the multitude of competitions that CFC stills find itself competing in?

Sophie Ingle and Erin Cuthbert are more than just holding down the fort in the middle of the pitch for Hayes’ side, but there is going to be a time when rest is going to be necessary given CFC is participating in four competitions. Since coming to west London from Bayern Munich in 2020, Leupolz has started in all but three WSL matches that she has featured.

Hayes has always been a fan of Leupolz’s versatility, being able to be deployed in a midfield two or three. During her first season in blue, the German often played alongside Ji So-yun to complete an elite passing duo, and in her final appearance before going on a hiatus for maternity leave, Leupolz played in the middle of a midfield four on the left side of Ingle. CFC fans must watch Leupolz over the next few weeks because she could be one of the keys if fit to bring the Blues over the top against some of the best in the Champions League.

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd

The Swedish international winger, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd is one of the most intriguing players on the CFC roster at the moment. Kaneyrd has featured in 15 matches in all club competitions, making five starts while collecting two assists. Her arrival from BK Hacken in the summer was not greeted with as much hype as the introductions of Kadeisha Buchanan or even Eve Perisset. Her impressive cameos against both Everton and Paris Saint-Germain in October earned her the first start of her Blues career against Brighton in the WSL.

Many of her displays after that were not as impressive as what was demonstrated at the beginning of October. Inconsistency has been something that has hampered Kaneryd so far, but a lot of that has to do with her movement into a few different positions in the wing. Hayes experimented with Kaneryd as a wingback on the right-hand side while making appearances on both attacking wings.

The Swede’s ability to take on players one on one in wide spaces could see her make a much larger impact on the side in the second half of the campaign. The moments on the wing were there in her first few months in blue. There is no doubt Kaneryd has a future in west London as a depth piece on the wing and with her dynamism on the ball, and knowledge of opening up backlines, fans could see the Swede much more often, especially with the side now down two attacking players.

Kaneryd is an electric player on the wing that has the talent to make things happen with the ball at her feet. Who knows how Hayes is going to rotate her roster filled with world-class players after the long break, but the energy and creativity in the final third is something fans should keep an eye out for.