Unlike last season, the west London side do not encounter the newly promoted club until December. It will be the first time the Blues meet with Bristol City away from home in the league since February 2021 when Fran Kirby netted two goals in a 5-0 victory.
March is always considered one of the busiest months in the football calendar given both cup competitions, the league, and Champions League ties. Only one of the four league contests that month are at home. That one being a marquee matchup against north London rivals Arsenal at the Bridge. It will be the same weekend that the Chelsea men travel to the Emirates for a Premier League meeting against the Gunners. Hayes’ side come face to face with Jonas Eidevall’s team in north London in early December.
Liverpool, one of the club’s toughest competitors last season journey south in November for a meeting at the Bridge against the Blues. Despite the Reds being a newly promoted side last season, Matt Beard’s team beat Hayes’ side once, and battled the then three-time defending league champions twice in games decided by just one goal.
In May 2023, the west London outfit needed a result against last place Reading. Similar to the 2021-2022 campaign, the Blues will have a much bigger challenge on their hands if a result is needed in the final match week. Being away from London to end the season is no different from 2023, but in 2024, the six-time WSL winners voyage up north to Manchester to face off against Marc Skinner’s Manchester United. Everyone remembers the story of what happened last time when the Red Devils met with the Blues in May of a WSL campaign. With Arsenal going to City the week before, the end of the season has the makings to be something special.
Overall, the Blues should be content with this release. The beginning of the campaign is favorable with three out of the first four fixtures on home soil. December through the end of the season is always a challenge with the number of competitions. That road warrior mentality is going to have to come out down the stretch if the west Londoners aim to clinch the league with five out of the last eight WSL games away from home.