2 Chelsea Women X-factors to look for throughout the season

It is beginning to get real. When Chelsea Women lifted the Women’s Super League trophy in Reading back in May, the 2023/2024 campaign seemed lightyears away. Comical videos of the players at media day via the club’s social media channels have added even more excitement to a season that has all the makings to be more successful than last year.

Now, Tottenham Hotspur and its new captain Bethany England are slated to be at Stamford Bridge in less than two weeks. With Emma Hayes’ side gracing the turf in west London, it should be a welcoming change of pace for all fans of the Blues as the other half of the club continues to look disjointed in the most significant area of the pitch.

Examining the roster as a whole, international stars are littered throughout. What about those unsung difference-makers? The ones that are tasked with responsibilities that are essential to the greater goals of the team, but hardly receive that “star” appreciation. Here are two X-factors to watch for that have all the tools to make a positive impact on the west London outfit.

2 Chelsea Women X-factors to keep an eye on in 2023/2024

1. Sjoeke Nusken

There was no need to pay a fee in the region of £150,000 (with the potential to rise to £250,000 with bonuses) for Kyra Cooney-Cross. Hayes knew she already had something special in German Sjoeke Nusken.

The campaign has not even started yet, and Chelsea fans look to already have their new favorite player. In the pre-season friendly at Kingsmeadow against AS Roma, the German international Sjoeke Nusken did almost everything Emma Hayes would have wanted. Be disruptive in the midfield, and progressive in attack. Her ability to be an X-factor does not just come from a non-competitive match in September. Nusken has the track record in Germany as one of the best defensive midfielders in the domestic top-flight. She finished top-seven in both total passes completed and tackles plus interceptions in the Frauen-Bundesliga last season.

Whatever role Hayes asks the German to play, the 22-year-old has demonstrated she can adapt. She fills holes almost anywhere on the pitch. Defensively, if Millie Bright is out for some time. Call up Nusken. If Erin Cuthbert needs a rest, call up Nusken. There are endless possibilities, and Hayes is by no means afraid to use them.

Some will want her to start from the jump, but that is far too quick for a new signing given Hayes’ mentality. By the conclusion of the campaign, Cuthbert and Nusken could be the double pivot with Catarina Macario serving as the No. 10. From the first impressions of her, the Blues’ new No. 6 spends most of her time talking with her play on the pitch. That is going to serve her well in west London.

2. Jelena Cankovic

Despite a tough beginning to her career in west London, Jelena Cankovic burst onto the scene during a snowy December night against Reading in the WSL. The Serbian did not always serve in the starting XI, but when she did make an appearance in blue, her presence was felt. Given the kind of players Hayes brought in this summer, Cankovic’s role is once again going to be a rotational one.

She is best placed as the No. 10, controlling the middle of the park, and making plays for her teammates. Fran Kirby, Macario, and even Lauren James are individuals that should be ahead of her in the pegging order. That does not mean she is not going to be significant for the team’s success. Coaches and players have the potential to sleep on her given the fact she did not appear in the Women’s World Cup down under this past summer.

Cankovic is a wizard on set-pieces, especially when it comes to her accuracy with her left boot. Against Arsenal at the Emirates back in January, the Serbian earned the west Londoners a valuable point by delivering a sensational ball into perfect position for Sam Kerr to smash it into the back of the net. Expect more impact moments like that. They are bound to be abundant with this being her second full Chelsea season.