Chelsea Women return to action after the first international break of the season on Sunday. The league leaders face Brighton in the Women’s Super League at Broadfield Stadium. The home side sits fifth in the table.
Despite their strong position in all competitions, Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has a few issues to contend with. First, the Blues will be playing eight times this month, with a match in every competition they are involved in. Among these eight matches, half will be against Manchester City in three different competitions.
There are a few injury concerns as well. Players like Sam Kerr and Mia Fishel are yet to be ready for a return after their ACL injuries last year. Erin Cuthbert, who missed the previous match and her national team’s fixtures during the international break, remains a doubt. Nathalie Björn is also uncertain after returning early from Sweden’s camp to Cobham.
A few players arrived very late from their national team duty. Maika Hamano, Mayra Ramírez, and Ashley Lawrence returned late after playing in North America. On a positive note, January signing Naomi Girma could be fit to feature on the bench for the first time since becoming a Chelsea player.
Femke Liefting, another winter signing, suffered an injury ahead of Chelsea’s last match and is set to be sidelined for a significant amount of time. Zećira Mušović, who is pregnant, will also be missing months of action. As a result, Chelsea have signed their former player Becky Spencer from Tottenham Hotspur on loan for the remainder of the season.
Their opponent, Brighton, is on a poor run of form despite being fifth in the table. Since their 3-2 win over West Ham United on November 16, they have been winless in the WSL. They have lost four times and drawn twice in their last six league matches. They did manage one win each in both the League Cup and FA Cup during that time; however, they were defeated in their subsequent matches in both competitions.
The first loss Brighton suffered after their last WSL win was to Chelsea. However, it was one of only two instances this season where Chelsea conceded more than once in a league match. The Seagulls had more shots on target in that game. Despite the positions in the table, teams lower in the league tend to play their best against the Blues.
Even though Chelsea is in a strong position in the WSL, unlike in previous seasons, they are yet to see a standout performer this season. But luckily for the fans, every player has chipped in whenever possible to help the team. Credit should be given to Sonia Bompastor, the coaching staff, and the squad for the way the team has moved forward despite everything.