Salute

Season Preview: Chelsea

Chelsea will host newly-promoted Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge for their Barclays FA Women’s Super League opener on Sunday 8th September

As the 2019-20 draws nearer, we’re taking a closer look at what to expect from each club – this time its two-time champions Chelsea.

By their own high standards Chelsea were off the pace last year as they finished 12 points behind champions Arsenal, relinquishing the FA WSL crown in the process.

Failure to finish in the top two means that there will be no Champions League football for Emma Hayes’ side but it could help refocus their domestic agenda.

Hayes’ squad will be largely the same as last season as they begin with a London derby opener against Spurs at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues have gained an exciting talent in the form of Norwegian Guro Reiten, offsetting the loss of the experience of retired Karen Carney and New Zealand captain Ali Riley, bound for Bayern Munich.

The prospect of an frontline featuring last season’s top scorer Beth England, Fran Kirby and PFA Players' Player of the Year nominee Erin Cuthbert should strike fear into the hearts of every defence in the league.

Kirby and Cuthbert endured mixed World Cup campaigns, but should both return to Kingsmeadow with renewed fire and hunger while England will be encouraged by her first senior call up to the Lionesses in August.

Pre-season started slowly for the Blues as they were beaten 5-2 by Montpellier and 5-0 by Bayern Munich but concluded on a more positive note with a 3-1 win over the Israel national team with England on the scoresheet.

2018-19 stats watch

Finish: 3rd

Top scorer: Beth England (12)

Biggest victory: 8-0 (away at Yeovil Town)

Heaviest defeat: 0-5 (at home to Arsenal)

Key Ins/Outs:

Ins: Guro Reiten

Outs: Jade Bailey, Hedvig Lindahl, Ali Riley, Molly Pike

A moment @Bethany_Eng15 won't forget! 😍



Congratulations on your first England cap, Beth! Well deserved!



📷: @Lionesses pic.twitter.com/fV9TsSUv7D — Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) August 30, 2019

Player to watch: Erin Cuthbert

Everything about Erin Cuthbert, from the way she speaks and carries herself off the pitch to the performances she turns in on it, defies her small years.

The Scot has only just turned 21 yet has already represented her country at two major tournaments and was included in the PFA Team of the Year last term for her domestic displays.

There is no doubt that on her day she is one of the most talented players in the league and will only get better with age and experience.

What they said:

Maren Mjedle

“It was disappointing for us last season to not win any trophies or qualify for the Champions League. We’re Chelsea, we always want to win,” said the Norwegian defender, who has nearly 150 caps for her country.

“We have a lot of players returning from the World Cup, so we are all coming in at different times, but we all know we have a lot to play for this season.

“We want to win something this year. We are gutted to not be in the Champions League because we want to be playing against the best, so our goal this year will be to do as well as we can to get back there.

“Playing against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge will be a brilliant start for us.

“Unlike some of the other girls, I’ve never played at Stamford Bridge before. I can’t wait to get out there in front of a big crowd. It’s the perfect way to start our season.”

Erin Cuthbert

“We had a look at ourselves after last season and I think Emma and her coaches decided that actually we could be improving off the pitch as well as on it,” said Cuthbert.

“After the summer I had to look at myself in the mirror and regroup a little bit because the World Cup hurt me a little bit – I needed to get over that.

“Now that I have been able to do that it has only served to fuel my fire.

“I was genuinely scared a few months ago because of how badly the season went with Chelsea and then Scotland but once I got back to training I felt much better and I can’t wait to get started.”