WSL Preview: Chelsea vs Arsenal

This weekend, WSL title holders Chelsea will welcome Arsenal, the Champions of Europe, in the thirteenth round of the WSL. With both teams seeking the title and Champions League qualification, this match will be a fierce clash between the Gunners and the Blues. 

Chelsea come into this match off the back of a 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the FA Cup last weekend, with four different players scoring in this dominant game. With over 60% of the possession in that match, we can expect a side that will be looking to take and keep the ball as much as possible. Their top scorer so far in the WSL this season is newcomer Alyssa Thompson, who has scored four goals and bagged one assist in ten matches, highlighting the strength and attacking prowess that she brings to the Blues. In the past five matches, Chelsea have only been victorious, scoring 24 goals past Palace, West Ham, Liverpool, Wolfsburg and Brighton collectively. Last weekend in the FA Cup, the hosts were without Keira Walsh, Aggie Beever-Jones, Catarine Macario and Niamh Charles, but Walsh and Beever-Jones were reportedly close to returning so we could see them on the team sheet for this match. 

The visitors, Arsenal, were also successful in the FA Cup, hosting Aston Villa at Meadow Park, where they clinched a 2-0 victory in the second half thanks to goals from Blackstenius and Little. Arsenal, though winning overall, didn’t make use of as many scoring opportunities as they had - as the score line could have been much greater in Arsenal’s favour if they had managed to send the ball more effectively into the box. Their top scorer in the WSL this season is Stina Blackstenius, scoring 5 goals and bagging one assist in 11 matches. The Gunners have not suffered a loss in their past five matches, but have had one draw against Manchester United which ended goalless. Last weekend in the FA Cup, Arsenal were without Williamson and Kelly, and were still missing Van Domselaar, but looks likely to return this week. The Gunners will also likely be without Emily Fox this weekend, as she was subbed off in the 22nd minute with a suspected concussion and is still recovering. 

Head-to-head, these teams have a fierce rivalry which makes these games very entertaining to watch, whether you’re in the stands or watching at home. In the past 22 times these sides have played, Chelsea have come out on top in twelve occurrences, meaning it is likely that we will see another victory for the Blues on Saturday, but that is not to say that the Gunners should be discounted from victory in this match. 

If you’re not in attendance at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, make sure to tune in to BBC One at 12:30pm for kick-off!