Chelsea at Man City, WSL preview: critical road matchup

On the back of the biggest wins of the 2022/23 campaign, the Chelsea Women continue their road trip with Manchester City next up in the Women’s Super League.

For Emma Hayes’ side, there is no rest. After a battle in France against the current Champions League holders, the Chelsea Women have to turn their eyes to a team just two points behind them in the Women’s Super League. Despite having a game in hand on both Manchester sides, the trip to the Academy Stadium is once again one of the biggest league matches of the campaign.

After ousting United at Kingsmeadow by a goal a few weeks ago, it is time for the Blues to do the same to the blue side of Manchester. Gareth Taylor’s side began the season on a brutal note. Not only did they lose Keira Walsh, and Lucy Bronze among others, City failed to qualify for the Champions League and began the league season with a 4-3 loss to mid-table Aston Villa.

Since dropping the first two matches of the 2022/23 WSL campaign, City has regrouped minus a few bumps in the road. Taylor’s team will be coming off of an FA Cup quarterfinal defeat to Aston Villa. That was the third time those two teams met this season, and none of them ended in a City victory. It is not the Manchester side of last season that fought the Blues in two finals, but a win at home against Arsenal in February enlightens the hopes at a potential top-two finish.

Chelsea star Maren Mjelde’s penalty against Gareth Taylor’s side earlier in the season put Manchester City’s hopes of a comeback out of reach

The first meeting this season for these two sides came all the way back in late September. The west Londoners were coming off of a shock defeat to Liverpool on the road to open the season. Coming back to Kingsmeadow, the Blues had something to prove. Despite the quality and strength Khadija “Bunny” Shaw up top, City came up short as a Fran Kirby goal followed by a Maren Mjelde penalty were enough to propel the home side to all three points.

Just like in September, the Jamaican international Shaw is going to be the focal point in everything the opposition do. Her 15 league goals so far this season are four more than any other player in the English top-flight heading into the end of March. She has accumulated a jaw-dropping nine goals in the last four contests in all competitions. That is two hat-tricks in four games for a striker that deserves to be playing Champions League football.

Last time out against the Blues, she completed two take ons, and took four shots while out muscling nearly the entire CFC backline during her 83 minutes on the pitch. The way the back four of Hayes’ team attacks Shaw is going to be the difference in the game. Knowing where she is at all times is paramount.

Despite the fact that the next opponents is unbeaten in their last 13 WSL matches, preventing the opponent from breaking through has been an issue. Taylor’s side has gone six straight games in all competitions without a clean sheet. The backline captained by Alex Greenwood, and Steph Houghton will have their hands full taking on the deepest team in English football right now.

At this point in the campaign, the Blues have to both focus on what is right in front of them while looking ahead to the next game. It is highly unlikely Hayes will rotate the team like she did against Reading in the FA Cup, but it should be no surprise if players like Erin Cuthbert or even Guro Reiten do not make the starting XI. Serial winning has always been Hayes’ goal, but in order for that to be accomplished she is going to have to put trust in a squad that is arguably the deepest she has ever had at the club.

Despite the battles that these two clubs have had in recent years, City has not defeated the Blues in the WSL since 2017. With home field advantage, and equipped with the most in-form striker in England at the moment, Taylor’s team will have all the confidence they can take down the defending champions. Losing to Villa in the FA Cup should give the Citizens that much more drive to take down another WSL powerhouse on their home ground.

The turnaround for Hayes’ team is once again daunting compared to the extended amount of rest for the home side. The passion that the west Londoners are playing with following a cup final defeat is something else. The mentality of this club is like no other in women’s football in England. City pose a menacing threat of their own, but it is becoming clearer by the game that the Blues are not taking a single opponent for granted en route to filling the trophy case at the end of the season.