Last weekend, Sky Sports did their usual ‘big match’ production, where they built up one of the key Premier League matches of the season. This time it was ‘Champion vs Challenger’ as Liverpool took on Manchester City. As usual, the overblown hype was all unnecessary as the teams played out a damp squib of a game that finished 0-0. This weekend in the WSL, a similar match is occurring. Just as in the men’s game, the Champions are in the Blue corner whereas the challengers are in the Red corner. That is where the similarities end as you can expect an entertaining clash as table toppers Arsenal Women make the short trip to Kingston to take on formidable champions Chelsea Women.
Chelsea come into the game all the way down in fifth place, three points behind Arsenal having played a game more than their London rivals. Chelsea’s stuttering start to the season in which they drew their first three league games 0-0 has been further compounded by the fact that Arsenal have started the season in swashbuckling form. They have won all three of their league games so far, scoring 16 goals in the process and only conceding three. Joe Montemurro has got his team playing some excellent football and look geared up for a legitimate title challenge in his first full season in charge. Not only have the Gunners won all their league games, they have also won the two Continental Cup matches they have played, meaning their record so far this season is played five and won five.
Chelsea’s goal-scoring league record pales in comparison to Arsenal’s. The Blues only managed to score their first goals of the season in the last matchday as they beat newly promoted Brighton 2-0, with the goals coming from Erin Cuthbert and Fran Kirby. Arsenal already have Vivienne Miedema on four league goals with Kim Little and Denise van de Donk not far behind on three goals each. Consequently, Arsenal players take up most of the top scorer stats in the league, as well as the top three assisters to goals in the whole of the WSL.
It’s not all bad news for Chelsea however; they are the only team in the league who haven’t conceded a goal, having kept a clean sheet in all four of their league games so far. Compared to Arsenal who have conceded a goal a game on average, the match promises to be one of the matches of the season and will go a long way in deciding the destination of this year’s WSL title.
