Chelsea Women v Everton WSL preview, five league games left to go

Due to the rescheduling of the Liverpool match at Kingsmeadow, the Chelsea Women have just a few days off before they take on the other Merseyside team on Sunday evening.

With just five Women’s Super League matches left in the 2022/23 campaign, the Chelsea Women know exactly what they have to do. The Blues have two games in hand over both Manchester sides ahead of them, trailing the pace setter, Manchester United by four points. Similar to last season, Emma Hayes’ side is in the position they want to be in heading into the thick of the final month of the league season.

They don’t have to receive any help from their competitors. Win the next five matches, and the WSL title will be returning to west London for a fourth consecutive season. It seems simple, but given the way the match against Liverpool transpired, the west Londoners are going to have to battle each time out to earn the maximum points. Brian Sorensen and the Everton Women are next on tap for the west London outfit.

Sorenson’s side is on track for a massive step forward compared to last season, sitting in sixth position just three points behind Aston Villa. In the 2021/22 campaign, the Toffees won just five games, ending up in 10th on just 20 points scoring the third-fewest goals in the WSL that season.

Led by the Dutch forward Katja Snoeijs, who has three goals in her last three contests, Sorenson’s side has a positive goal differential for just the second time since the 2017/18 campaign. Hayes’ team met with the Toffees back in October ahead of the kick-off to the UEFA Women’s Champions League in Paris during the mid-week.

Two goals by Pernille Harder, and a stunning clincher in stoppage time by Niamh Charles was enough to outlast the home team that only managed to beat Ann-Katrin Berger due to an own goal by centerback Kadeisha Buchanan on a set piece. It was the west London outfit’s first road win of the campaign.

Since taking over the reins from interim managers Claire Ditchburn, and Chris Roberts ahead of this season from Fortuna Hjorring, Sorenson has revitalized the Merseyside team to where it should be in the WSL table. If they remain in the same position right now in the table, it will be third time in the last five seasons that Everton will finish in the top-six of the English women’s top-flight. The Toffees head to Kingsmeadow on Sunday evening unbeaten in four out of their last five WSL fixtures, defeating both Reading and Tottenham during that span. Despite giving up five goals in the last two games combined, Sorenson’s team has collected eight clean sheets in all competitions. The Toffees have conceded 20 less goals compared to last season.

At this point in the Women’s Super League campaign, the result matters far more than the performance.

Hayes has scored three or more goals in the last six contests in all competitions against the Toffees. The last time the Merseyside club defeated Hayes’ team was in the Women’s FA Cup quarterfinal in September 2020 at Goodison Park as current FC Fleury 91 striker Valerie Gauvin netted the winner in the 63′.

At some point during this run to end the season, Hayes is going to have to rotate players in and out. This Sunday at home has the feeling of a Zecira Musovic match, or even a potential return of Pernille Harder into the starting lineup for the first time since November 6 at United. There is no room to underestimate opponents, but there comes a time where Hayes has to give players like Guro Reiten and Sam Kerr a rest with a cup final right around the corner.

Expect Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, and Sophie Ingle to return to the starting XI as Hayes attempts to provide rest to as many players as she can given the injury dilemma the west London side are currently in. Kaneryd came on for Harder in the second half of the last meeting between these two sides, acting as a spark plug collecting three shot-creating actions, and two successful take ons in the final 30 minutes.

After the meeting with the Toffees, the Blues have to turn around a take on Leicester City in the club’s third consecutive mid-week contest. It is a tall order to ask, but this is not the first time a Hayes-led team has done it.

Sorenson’s side has been one of the most uplifting stories of the season, taking a side from potential relegation back into the top-six. The only one domestic team can beat the Blues, and that is themselves. Maybe it was the free hot dogs outside of Kingsmeadow on Wednesday, but if Hayes’ side wants to win the title, they are going to have to start matches with far more intensity.