Chelsea midseason report card: WSL title streak under threat from Manchester City | OneFootball

With half the 2025-26 Women’s Super League season out of the way, SheKicks is compiling midseason report cards for each of the WSL teams and next up is reigning champions Chelsea.

How have Chelsea started the WSL season?

Chelsea’s stranglehold on the Women’s Super League is facing its greatest threat since they were last beaten to the title by Arsenal in 2019.

Sonia Bompastor’s side completed an unbeaten domestic treble last season and many expected them to continue their dominance into this season.

Chelsea’s 34-game unbeaten run in the WSL came to an end with a shock 1-0 defeat to Everton earlier this month.

That result, compiled with draws against Arsenal, Manchester United and struggling Liverpool, have left Chelsea six points behind Manchester City at the halfway stage of the season.

Chelsea beat Manchester City on the opening day of the campaign, but Andree Jeglertz’s side have since gone 10 games unbeaten to take a comfortable lead at the top of the WSL.

Whether Bompastor’s side will win the title could depend on a make-or-break eight days for the Blues. Chelsea host Arsenal on January 24th before travelling to Manchester City on February 1st.

Chelsea’s WSL results

What has gone wrong for Chelsea?

Chelsea have been excellent defensively as always, but their main issue has been in front of goal.

The Blues scored 10 goals in their opening four WSL games in September. Aggie Beever-Jones was named Player of the Month after netting in four straight games.

Bompastor’s side only scored six goals from their next seven WSL games before a return to form in a 3-0 win against Brighton before the winter break.

Chelsea are scoring 1.7 goals per match, which is lower than Manchester City (2.9), Manchester United (2.2) and Arsenal (2.1).

The Blues have the second-highest xG with 22.9, from which they have scored 19 goals. Manchester City, meanwhile, are exceeding expectations with 32 goals from an xG of 29.4.

Beever-Jones has not scored a single goal since her excellent performances in September. The return of Sam Kerr from injury has been a boost, but only two of her seven goals in all competitions have come in the WSL.

However, Chelsea have the best defence in the league, conceding just six goals in 11 games. Hannah Hampton has been the league’s best goalkeeper despite the media furore surrounding comments from Mary Earps.

Aggie Beever-Jones has struggled for goals since an excellent September (Photo: Jayde Chamberlain/SPP)

How are Chelsea’s summer signings performing?

Alyssa Thompson already looks like she will be a huge player for Chelsea in the coming years.

The 21-year-old has scored three goals in the WSL, including a brilliant finish in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal.

Ellie Carpenter is a contender for the Team of the Season and the right-back has scored two goals and provided three assists in all competitions.

Swiss goalkeeper Livia Peng has done a solid job when filling in for Hannah Hampton, but 20-year-old German defender Mara Alber is yet to feature for the Blues.

Performance of Chelsea head coach

Sonia Bompastor has done a brilliant job at Chelsea since replacing Emma Hayes, and has plenty of credit left in the bank after winning the domestic treble last season.

Though she will be concerned at the six-point gap to Manchester City, Chelsea are by no means out of the title fight.

Bompastor has built a squad that is very difficult to score against, and the challenge will be to get her forwards scoring more goals so they can match the attacking prowess of Manchester City.

If Chelsea struggle to close the gap to Manchester City, attention will likely turn to helping the Blues win their first Women’s Champions League.

Chelsea WSL midseason report grade: B

Chelsea receive a B grade for their WSL midseason report, which is higher than that of Arsenal, Aston Villa and Brighton.

It has not been a bad start to the season for Bompastor’s side, though there is a lot of work to do if they are to win their seventh straight league title.

The draw with Liverpool and defeat against Everton were particularly disappointing results, and they can ill-afford to drop points in games like this during the second half of the season.

If they are still six points or more behind Manchester City by the time the sides meet on February 1st, it could be a difficult gap to close.

WSL midseason report grades so far