Moving focus to WSL: Chelsea v Spurs preview part III

For the third time this season, and the second meeting in less than two weeks, Emma Hayes’ Chelsea Women meet up with their rivals to the north, Tottenham Hotspur. This will be the last Women’s Super League match until March 5 as the Blues seek to advance even further in both the FA Cup and Conti Cup in the month of February. Hayes’ side has outscored Tottenham 26 to four all-time with CFC coming out on top in every meeting since 2019. It has been a while since the Blues have competed in the WSL having missed out on their contest against Liverpool a week after salvaging a draw against Arsenal.

As things stand, a last-second winner by former Spurs forward, Rachel Williams at Madejski Stadium has Manchester United at the top of the table with 28 points through 11 matches played. Hayes and CFC are locked up on points with United, but sit behind in second on goal differential. With Marc Skinner’s side playing an in-form Everton side in the league, Chelsea may have the opportunity to jump over United to reclaim the top spot in the WSL.

As Hayes has continued to emphasize, no game is bigger than the next. This will be Spurs’ third contest of their five-game home stand while the Blues head on the road for two consecutive matches ahead of the international break. Just like last season, this is going to be a league campaign where every point matters, and against reeling opposition like this, the Blues have to be able to pounce. With the amount of depth this side has compared to last season, Hayes has the ability to set up quality lineups in almost every match, making the juggling of four different competitions even easier.