Chelsea Women return to Kingsmeadow on Sunday when we take on Bristol City for our maiden home match of the 2020/21 Barclays FA Women’s Super League season. The fixture is being played behind closed doors and here is all the information needed ahead of the match.
After dropping points on the opening day of the 2020-21 WSL season last weekend against Manchester United, in a disappointing 1-1 draw, Chelsea will hope to pick up our first victory of the season in the home opener at Kingsmeadow, against Bristol City whom we beat by a five-goal margin last time.
Date / Time: Sunday, September 13, 2020, 12:30 BST; 7:30am EDT; 9pm IST
Venue: Kingsmeadow
Referee: Stacey Pearson
Forecast: Clear
On TV: BBC Red Button (UK); none (USA); elsewhere
Streaming: BBC iPlayer (UK); NBC Sports Live (USA); The FA Player (countries without TV deals/listings)
Chelsea FCW team news: As if Emma Hayes needed additional talent at her disposal, Pernille Harder’s debut cameo last weekend left much to be excited about. Her pace and quick turn on the ball may not have been enough to spur the Blues to a late victory, but it will likely earn her a place in the starting lineup come Sunday.
It will be interesting to see if her anticipated inclusion comes in place of, or alongside one of Chelsea’s other elite striking options. Sam Kerr scored the opening goal of the WSL campaign, but has missed many quality chances in the last two weekends. It is quite a luxury for manager Emma Hayes, when her alternate choice is PFA player of the year, Bethany England. After scoring a brace in the last meeting with the Robins, England will look to add to her tally.
Not to be outdone, Ji So-yun also scored a pair in Chelsea’s 6-1 victory over Bristol City WFC back in January. After being subbed off in the second half last weekend, she should be fresh and ready to pull the strings in the Chelsea midfield.
Bristol City WFC team news: The Robins were beaten handily in their opening match of the season, to the tune of 4-0 by Everton. Manager Tanya Oxtoby knows the mountain will only gets steeper when her club arrives in London on Sunday. After all, the Blues poured in 10 goals against Bristol City in just two matches last season.
Oxtoby knows she can’t fight fire with fire and will hope her squad can soak up large spells of Chelsea pressure and hit hard on the counter when chances arrive. Having conceded two goals from set pieces against Everton, The Robins will need to avoid giving away free kicks in dangerous areas, especially with the creativity at Chelsea’s disposal.
When and where?
Chelsea v Bristol City is taking place at our home ground Kingsmeadow on Sunday, with a 12.30pm kick-off.
Support the Blues from home
We would like to remind fans that this game is being played behind closed doors. Due to government guidelines regarding Covid-19, please note the whole of Kingsmeadow will be closed to the public, therefore, we strongly advise fans not to travel to the stadium or congregate in the surrounding areas on matchdays.
We understand the frustration for supporters who usually attend matchdays and we look forward to welcoming you back to Kingsmeadow when it is safe to do so.
How to follow and how to watch live
Sunday’s game is being broadcast live on the BBC Red Button. If you are unable to tune in to support the Blues, you can follow how the match unfolds via our social media channels. There will be commentary on our Twitter, plus regular updates on Instagram and Facebook.
Follow ‘ChelseaFCW’ on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date!
SAM KERR SCORES AS BLUES BEGIN WSL TITLE DEFENCE | UNSEEN EXTRA
The form
Chelsea got off to a good start to the new campaign having defeated Manchester City 2-0 at Wembley Stadium to clinch the FA Community Shield. Despite numerous chances in the first 45 minutes, the opener came in the second half when centre-back Millie Bright unleashed a sublime strike which sailed into the top corner. Substitute Erin Cuthbert sealed the win with a brilliant stoppage-time finish inside the 18-yard-box.
Our first league game resulted in a draw away to Manchester United last weekend. The Blues dominated the first half and we deservedly went ahead when forward Sam Kerr registered her first goal of the season with a classy finish at the near post after meeting Fran Kirby’s drilled cross.
The Blues had a handful of opportunities to finish off the game in the North-West, however a succession of missed chances allowed Manchester United to remain in the game and the hosts levelled the scoring through Leah Galton in the latter stages of the contest.
Bristol City suffered defeat in their opening game of the season losing 4-0 to Everton.
Chelsea vs Bristol City recent head-to-head record
Chelsea have won 10 of our last 11 Barclays FA Women’s Super League matches with Bristol City, netting 40 goals in the process, including scoring six times in two of the last three meetings.
The most recent encounter between the two sides came in January when we thumped the Robins 6-1 at home. Chelsea trailed a goal in the opening quarter but Bethany England levelled the scoring with a brave header and three more goals followed by half-time. Hannah Blundell gave us the lead five minutes prior to the interval with a fantastic left-footed strike that got a deflection on its way in.
Defender Jess Carter scored her first ever Chelsea goal when she poked home from close range, and Ji So-Yun directed her low powerful shot into the net to give us a comfortable lead at the break. The South Korean scored her second of the match five minutes into the second half and England blasted home a header in the final stages of the match.
In last season’s away fixture we took the lead after three minutes courtesy of Guro Reiten calmly slotting home. Then, just seven minutes later, our lead was doubled as Reiten once again found the back of the net. The victory was sealed after only 17 minutes when Ji netted her first of the season with a powerful finish after being teed up by Sophie Ingle. The fourth goal was scored by Ingle, who tapped home to register her first-ever Chelsea goal.
The Blues clinched our second Women’s Super League title against Bristol in the 2017/18 season with a comfortable 2-0 win.
Next up
After Sunday, a large chunk of Hayes’ squad will head off with their national teams. Therefore, the Blues’ next Women’s Super League game will be on the weekend of 3/4 October away to Birmingham City. The following weekend Chelsea will host Manchester City at Kingsmeadow and the exact dates and kick-off times are still yet to be confirmed.