Emma Hayes' squad departed earlier today for a pre-season training camp in Montpellier which will feature a friendly match against the hosts on Thursday followed by a trip to Barcelona on Sunday night.



Preparations conclude with a game against Juventus on Wednesday 8 August, which you can buy tickets for here, when Blues legend Eniola Aluko returns to Kingsmeadow with her new club, but then the season begins in earnest with the first fixtures in the Continental Tyres Cup group stage.



We kick off our bid to lift that trophy for the first time on Sunday 19 August with a home match against top-flight newcomers Brighton and Hove Albion, followed a week later by a trip to the Hive to face London Bees, who we thrashed 10-0 on our way to winning the FA Cup last term.

However, the fixture which has caught everyone's eye comes on the opening weekend of the newly rebranded Women's Super League season, when we host Manchester City on Sunday 9 September.

The league title has been shared between the two sides since 2015, with the Blues taking the crown last year after finishing six points clear of our rivals after going through the league campaign unbeaten. We also defeated City in our most recent meeting, when Fran Kirby netted twice in the FA Cup semi-final in April.

Last season was also productive for the Blues in European competition as we reached the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time in our history before losing to Wolfsburg. Hayes will be hoping to lead her side a step further when our European campaign gets underway at the last-32 stage in mid-September. The draw for that round takes place on Friday 17 August and the Blues will be seeded for the first time, which keeps us away from the majority of the top clubs and means we have the benefit of playing our second leg at home.

Below are the fixtures, including potential games in all competitions:

