Chelsea vs Man City – WSL match preview and team news | OneFootball

Chelsea Women launch their WSL title defence in blockbuster fashion this Friday evening as they welcome Man City Women to Stamford Bridge.

After sweeping the board last season with a historic domestic Treble (WSL, FA Cup, and League Cup), the Blues now set their sights on an even greater prize.

It’s Sonia Bompastor’s second season in charge, and the French coach has a clear mission on her hands — guiding Chelsea toward the club’s first-ever quadruple, with the elusive UEFA Women’s Champions League trophy firmly in her crosshairs.

With the league curtain-raiser pitting last season’s winners against one of their fiercest rivals, the stage is perfectly set for fireworks in Kingston.

Chelsea vs Man City – WSL match preview and team news

Chelsea team news

Chelsea’s forward line takes a hit before Friday’s blockbuster at Stamford Bridge. Colombian sharpshooter Mayra Ramírez faces a lengthy layoff after undergoing surgery on a hamstring injury she sustained in a pre-season friendly against AC Milan, which will sideline her until 2026.

Chelsea right-back Lucy Bronze is still “weeks away” from a return to action after playing through the European Championship with a broken leg.

England international Lauren James also misses the season’s curtain raiser as she nurses a knock she picked up at Euro 2025.

All eyes, however, will be on talisman Sam Kerr, who Bompastor says will be included in her squad after missing almost two years of action with an ACL injury.

Read – Chelsea handed major boost ahead of Man City clash

Man City team news

City boss Gareth Taylor has setbacks of his own to contend with. German centre-back Rebecca Knaak is ruled out with a meniscus tear she suffered in the Euros’ semi-final defeat to Spain. Fear not for the Cityzens’ attack, however; Bunny Shaw makes her long-awaited comeback, donning sky blue in competitive action for the first time since last March’s League Cup final.

Intrigue off the pitch adds spice to the fixture; Grace Clinton has swapped Manchester United for City in a shock move, while rising midfield talent Jess Park has moved in the opposite direction. Clinton could make her debut on Friday.

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Form

Chelsea: DWWWW

Chelsea closed out their pre-season and final 2024–25 fixtures with four wins and one draw, underscoring their title-defence credentials. Victories included decisive wins over West Ham (3-0), Arsenal (2-1) and Tottenham (4-0), with a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Brighton interrupting an otherwise perfect run.

Under Sonia Bompastor, the Blues have now gone 17 competitive home matches unbeaten, blending attacking flair with defensive solidity as they gear up to retain their WSL crown.

Man City: WWLLD

Manchester City have yielded mixed results of late. Defeat to Brighton (2-1), a friendly draw with Manchester United (2-2), and a win over Crystal Palace in the FA Cup (5-2).

While their attack showed promise, defensive lapses in the draws highlighted areas for improvement. Gareth Taylor’s side heads into the new season seeking to tighten up at the back and rediscover the consistency that once made them genuine title contenders.

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Predicted lineups

Possible Chelsea starting XI: Hampton; Carpenter, Bright, Girma, Baltimore; Walsh, Cuthbert; Rytting Kaneryd, Nusken, Beever-Jones; Macario.

Possible Man City starting XI: Keating; Rose, Prior, Greenwood; Casparij, Hasegawa, Lohmann, Beney; Kerolin, Miedema, Shaw.

How to watch Chelsea vs Man City?

Chelsea vs Manchester City Women’s Super League match can be watched live in the UK on Sky Sports channels, including: Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football, Sky Sports Ultra HDR. For non-subscribers, it will also be broadcast live on Sky Mix.

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