Moving focus to WSL: Chelsea v Spurs preview part III

As far as the lineup, Jessie Fleming without a doubt deserves a start for her stellar 90 minutes against Matt Beard and the Reds. There should not be too much shake up compared to what Hayes deployed in the FA Cup this past weekend with Fran Kirby serving as the No. 10, and Jess Carter earning her fourth straight start on the left side of the defense.

Is Hayes going to continue to ride the hot hands of Zecira Musovic, or is Ann-Katrin Berger going to find her way back between the sticks for the first time since the Blues’ home match against Reading in December? That may be the biggest lingering question when it comes to the lineup for CFC on Sunday, and is something that will continue to be brought up going forward with Musovic’s contract still expiring at the conclusion of the season.

Melanie Leupolz received a large ovation by the Kingsmeadow faithful in her return. While she was quite off the pace during the short time she was out there, it is going to be intriguing to see if Hayes finds this as a match to possibly provide her with even more time on the pitch as she begins to get back into the swing of things since the birth of her first child in October.

From a dominant first half at Stamford Bridge to the Blues’ relatively comfortable triumph in the Conti Cup on the road, this season’s matchups have not been the most competitive so far. Drew Spence’s world-class strike when the match was already decided at Brisbane Road was essentially the only offense Spurs has been able to muster against CFC’s stout backline.