Women’s Super League 2025-26 Previews No 4: Chelsea

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 2nd (NB: this is not needfully Suzanne Wrack’s prediction but nan mean of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 1st

Prospects

How do you travel up connected a sixth successive convention title and a home treble, secured successful nan manager’s first season? For astir teams nan reply would beryllium “with awesome difficulty”, but Chelsea are a different beast.

Terrifyingly, contempt their home dominance, nan Blues near room for betterment past season. As Sonia Bompastor told nan club’s website: “We did good successful position of trophies and results past play but we were not ever happy pinch nan performances and didn’t show arsenic overmuch consistency arsenic I would like. We’re moving connected giving moreover much clarity to nan players for them to execute what we want them to execute connected nan pitch.”

The quality going into nan caller run is they person a much settled squad and a much settled manager. There person been incomings, Ellie Carpenter nan highlight, but this has been a summertime of consolidation and of building towards nan performances they want to spot week in, week out. “I wouldn’t opportunity location will beryllium a large quality from past season,” said Bompastor. “This season, we will spell further and successful much item connected what we were trying to execute past season.

“Last play was astir getting to cognize each different connected nan pitch. Now, we are successful a amended position to spell into nan specifications of really we want to activity together.”

The situation of maintaining their stranglehold connected nan convention title is getting harder each year. This play Arsenal are buoyed by their Champions League win and Manchester City are helmed by a caller head and welcoming backmost their injured cohort. Both clubs are hopeless to unseat Chelsea, who look a stern trial successful nan play opener erstwhile they invited City to Stamford Bridge. It will beryllium a chance for nan champions to make a statement.

Chelsea are still searching for their missing piece, too, their reliable exit from nan Champions League astatine nan hands of Barcelona only made worse by Arsenal’s eventual triumph. With Barcelona’s financial struggles good documented and Arsenal’s underdog triumph a surprise, nan European doorway is unfastened for whichever squad push hardest astatine it.

The manager

Bompastor’s first play was phenomenal. Improving connected nan occurrence of nan preceding play while adapting to a caller state and civilization pinch your family is singular and has resulted successful a well-deserved spot connected nan shortlist for nan Ballon d’Or women’s coach of nan twelvemonth award. Known for being a ruthless competitor, Bompastor has proven herself a worthy successor to Emma Hayes. The Champions League frustrations aired by Bompastor and her squad aft they had secured a home treble speak to nan thrust and ambition of nan head and her players.

Off-field picture

Chelsea person ne'er been acrophobic to walk large to get nan players they want, pinch Naomi Girma’s signing successful January showing that is not astir to change. The women’s broadside of nan nine was controversially divided from nan men’s and sold to Blueco, Chelsea’s genitor company, for £200m successful April. The valuation was justified successful May erstwhile nan Reddit co-founder, and hubby of Serena Williams, Alexis Ohanian bought a 10% stake successful nan nine for £20m. Ohanian has spoken publically astir nan large ambitions he has for Chelsea and nan woody prompted a batch of teams to move greenish pinch envy.

Star signing

Chelsea person had a little star-studded model than successful caller years, pinch nan goalkeeper Livia Peng joining from Werder Bremen, nan German guardant Mara Alber coming from Hoffenheim and Becky Spencer’s indebtedness woody turned permanent. The presence of nan Australia defender Carpenter from Bompastor’s erstwhile broadside Lyon is nan highlight, though. Carpenter has doubly won nan Champions League pinch Lyon and has played successful 2 World Cups and 3 Olympics pinch nan Matildas. “Everyone has been truthful welcoming, nan unit and nan players,” she said. “I’m enjoying nan sessions; it’s a awesome situation to activity in, and it will bring nan champion retired of me. It’s each very positive, and I’m excited to spot more.”

Ellie Carpenter takes portion successful immoderate sheep herding during Chelsea’s pre-season training campy successful nan Netherlands. Photograph: Harriet Lander/CFC/Getty Images

Stepping up

There are truthful galore breathtaking young players astatine Chelsea it is difficult to choose. Aggie Beever-Jones and Hannah Hampton arguably had their “stepping up” campaigns past term. This play it’s Wieke Kaptein’s turn. The midfielder has shown flashes of brilliance erstwhile she has travel into nan side. “She conscionable brings to nan squad a batch of value retired of possession,” said Bompastor erstwhile Kaptein played during nan different 4 back-to-back games against Manchester City past season. “She’s a young subordinate but she is really assured connected nan shot but besides useful truthful difficult disconnected nan ball.”

It was a bully summertime for …

As pinch Arsenal, it would beryllium unfair to not mention each of Chelsea’s Euro 2025 winners. Niamh Charles scored her punishment successful nan last soon aft coming on, Lauren James scored doubly against nan Netherlands contempt wounded struggles during nan tournament, Beever-Jones shone successful her cameos and scored against Wales, Keira Walsh is nan metronome of England’s midfield, battling Lucy Bronze was sensational successful truthful galore ways and Hampton shrugged disconnected Mary Earps’s shadow and past immoderate pinch 2 heroic performances successful punishment shootouts to adhd to a breakthrough tournament.

Hannah Hampton saves from Aitana Bonmatí during nan punishment shootout arsenic England defeated Spain successful nan Euro 2025 final. Photograph: Michael Probst/AP

Main inaugural to pull much fans

Chelsea announced measurement up of nan play specifications of nan 4 WSL games they will play astatine Stamford Bridge, successful an effort to get fans committed to showing up en masse. They mostly picked showpiece games, having antecedently tended to play lower-level guidance there, choosing their opener against City, their fixture against promoted London City Lionesses and games against Arsenal and Manchester United. They person sold The Bridge Pass, which enables fans to bargain a summons for each 4 fixtures. Chelsea supporters will person their recreation subsidised and capped astatine £15 for home games extracurricular London again.