Chelsea are back on duty after yet another international break, returning to Kingsmeadow exactly two weeks after beating Manchester United in the Women’s Super League.
The Blues will need to refocus quickly however if we are to keep our comfortable five-point lead over Manchester City, as we host an impressive Brighton side on Sunday.
Date / Time: Sunday, December 8, 2024, 14.00 GMT; 9am EST
Venue: Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames, UK
Referee: Stacey Pearson
Forecast: Light rain and a moderate breeze
On TV: none (UK); none (US); elsewhere
Streaming: none (UK); none (US)
Chelsea team news: The narrow 1-0 win against United before the break was enough to extend the Blues’ winning streak to 12 games. New manager Sonia Bompastor has won all her games so far, and she intends to keep that record absolutely spotless.
Our injury list remains longer than what it should be, especially when it comes to attacking players, with Sam Kerr, Mia Fishel and Lauren James all still absent. James might be back next month, but Kerr is still months away, the manager revealed this week.
The good news is we might see defender Niamh Charles back finally, having recovered from the preseason shoulder injury that has kept her off the pitch.
Brighton & Hove Albion v West Ham United - Barclays Women’s Super League Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images
Brighton team news: Against preseason expectations, Brighton sit in third place in the Women’s Super League, with 16 points from eight games, dropping points only against Manchester City, Arsenal, and Manchester United. They collected 19 points all of last season!
Bompastor has been suitably impressed by them as well.
“It’s always good to see managers and teams who have strong beliefs in their philosophy and their game model. Brighton is a team that really have confidence and they want to build up from the back line and the goalkeeper, which is something I really love as a manager.
“Even the game against Arsenal when they were losing by a number of goals, they were still trying to build up from the backline. I think it’s good for the women’s game to have this philosophy.
“We will see if they do the same against us. It’s something I like as a manager - it’s good to have confidence even when you don’t always get the results and to stay with your philosophy. It’s not always easy, but it’s a strong mindset I like to see.”
-Sonia Bompastor; Source: Chelsea FC
Brighton’s turnaround is also a result of the good moves they made in the summer market, including the signing of Jelena Čanković and Fran Kirby from Chelsea, to join former Chelsea player Maria Thorisdottir in the squad. Unsurprisingly, Kirby is among the team’s leading goalscorers, with three goals and two assists to her name thus far.
Our club legend has unfortunately — but perhaps luckily for us — suffered a calf injury during international duty and will not be able to play in this one. But fellow summer signings Nikita Parris and Kiko Seike are more than capable of picking up the slack with seven goals already between them.
Previously: Sjoeke Nüsken’s hat-trick, topped off by a late Aggie Beever-Jones strike, gave Chelsea a 4-2 win over the Seagulls at Kingsmeadow.