Manchester City vs Chelsea Match Preview
Sunday 23 March
Women’s Super League
Kick-Off: 2.30pm
Venue: Etihad Stadium
After putting an end to Chelsea’s 31-game unbeaten run that stretched back to May 2024, Manchester City will be looking to close the gap between themselves and the Champions League positions.
This is the third of four consecutive matches between the two sides, with both teams having a win each coming into this clash.
Sonia Bompastor’s side landed the first blow of this four-match feud, lifting the Women’s League cup at Pride Park last weekend.
However, Manchester City quickly got revenge with a 2-0 win at home on Wednesday night, putting them in a good position to qualify for the next round.
Form:
Chelsea – DWWWL
Manchester City – WDWLW
Despite the result in midweek, Chelsea do remain unbeaten domestically. They are sat comfortably at the top of the table with an eight-point buffer to Arsenal in 2nd.
The Blues have won 14 out of the 16 games they have played. The only points dropped have come in a 2-2 draw with Brighton and a 1-1 result against Leicester City.
Meanwhile, Nick Cushing’s side currently sits fourth in the table, four points behind rivals Manchester United, who are currently occupying the third Champions League position.
Manchester City have won ten of their sixteen games this season, losing four matches along the way including a 2-0 defeat to Sunday’s opponents at Stamford Bridge in November.
Can Chelsea bounce back?
The Blues now have their opportunity to claim revenge upon their opponents. The big question is whether this first loss under Bompastor will knock the team’s confidence.
Lucy Bronze admitted Chelsea were not at their best in the 2-0 loss midweek, stating that her team were “miles off it”.
City looked the more threatening team for the majority of their Champions League clash, calling Hannah Hampton into action frequently.
But Chelsea were not without their chances as well, with their best coming in the 80th minute when Johanna Rytting Kaneryd blasted her attempt against the bar.
In the end, Chelsea were much less clinical than they have been throughout this season and this could be a worry for the Blues heading into their third consecutive game against Cushing’s side.
How important is this for Manchester City?
Carrying the confidence gained from their previous performance into the upcoming match, City will be determined to replicate what they did on Wednesday night.
The Citizens are not where they would want to be in the WSL, but a win this weekend will help them to build on an already impressive result this week.
City are twelve points off Chelsea at the top of the table and with only having six games left, it would be a big task for City to get back into the title conversation.
They would also have to rely on Chelsea to have a sharp decline in form if they wanted this to be a possibility.
However, with both Arsenal and Manchester United four points ahead of City, they are certainly in contention for the runners up spot this season.
Key Players
Lauren James is one of Chelsea’s most in-form players at the moment. James has only appeared for Chelsea in the WSL 7 times this season due to injury. She has scored three and assisted one with her most recent goal coming in the 2-2 draw against Brighton. She has consistently looked like a problem for the teams she faces, and City will have to be wary of her this Sunday.
Perhaps the obvious choice, Vivianne Miedema is undoubtedly a threat once again for Chelsea this weekend. Miedema was the difference maker in the week, coming off the bench and scoring a brace. She has been in great form in the WSL recently, with her most recent goal coming against Tottenham. In nine appearances in the league this season, Miedema has scored six goals, proving that she is a threat in City’s midfield.
Prediction
Chelsea will want to make a statement with an instant response to the disappointing defeat but, it is unclear how this loss will affect the squad as this is the first time it’s happened.
City’s goal will be to get on a good run of form that will help them end the season strongly following some disappointing results.
Both teams will be going into the game feeling they can get that result which is bound to make this match an exciting one.