Chelsea travel to Aston Villa in the second gameweek of the 2025/26 Women's Super League campaign.
The Blues will be looking to keep pace with their fellow title contenders, two of which played and won on Friday night, putting the pressure on Chelsea to respond against the Villains. Sonia Bompastor's side got off to a perfect start in their opening match of the season against Manchester City, defeating them 2-1 with new signing Ellie Carpenter starring.
Villa's season commenced a couple of days after Chelsea's, opening the season with a goalless draw against Brighton. Natalia Arroyo's side sustained a lot of pressure from the Seagulls, but also had enough chances to take the three points themselves.
Nevertheless, a point away from home in the opening gameweek was not a bad result for the Villains, who will be looking to build on this. However, this will be a very tough test against a team with the quality that Chelsea possesses.
Chelsea
Chelsea fans will be eagerly anticipating the debut of new signing Alyssa Thompson, who was announced at Stamford Bridge in the opening game of the season. Bompastor hopes that the winger's debut will come against Aston Villa, but is still waiting for confirmation.
It will also be a relief for the supporters of the Blues to hear that Erin Cuthbert is fine. The midfielder came off against Manchester City following a collision, but Bompastor has stated that the Scot is fit to play against Villa.
Chelsea's head coach also hinted at a potential appearance for Sam Kerr. The striker recently recovered from a long-term injury and even made the bench for the opening match of the season, but the striker did not come on.
Aston Villa
Goalkeeper Sabrina D'Angelo was forced off after sustaining a concussion in Villa's opening match against Brighton last week. She remains out for the Chelsea clash as new signing Ellie Roebuck will step in for the Canadian.
Paula Tomas is the only other absentee for Aston Villa as she continues to recover from injury. Arroyo stated that the Spaniard is nearing a return but thinks that this match will come too soon for her.
Predicted Lineups
Aston Villa (3-4-1-2)
Roebuck; Wilms, Patten, Deslandes; Grant, Kearns, Baijings, Maritz; Daly; Salmon, Hanson
Chelsea (4-2-3-1)
Hampton; Carpenter, Bright, Björn, Charles; Walsh, Cuthbert; Baltimore, Hamano, Macario; Beever-Jones
Key Players
Aston Villa - Rachel Daly
Daly did not have the greatest start to her 2025/26 WSL campaign against Brighton, but there is no denying that the 33-year-old will provide arguably the biggest threat to the Blues in this match.
Her experience should serve her well against Chelsea, having played against them a fair few times in her two tenures in English football.
Villa will likely have limited chances in this match and will have a lot of defensive work to do, so it is important for the hosts to pounce upon the opportunities when they come.
Daly is the perfect player for this and will undoubtedly be a problem for Chelsea to try and nullify.
Chelsea - Aggie Beever-Jones
With star striker Sam Kerr making an imminent return, Beever-Jones' position in the Chelsea frontline is under threat. The 22-year-old will be looking to put in a performance of the highest order against Villa to fight for her place in the starting eleven.
The striker got off to a perfect start against Manchester City in the opening game of the season, giving her side the lead and scoring the Blues' first goal of the new season.
Beever-Jones has a fantastic scoring record when being selected to start, and fans would certainly not bet against her to find the back of the net against Aston Villa.
Match Details
Where is the match being played?
This match takes place at Villa Park
What time is kick-off?
The match commences at 12:00 BST.
How can I watch?
This match is being shown on Sky Sports.