Chelsea FCW vs. Manchester City WFC, WSL: Team news, preview, how to watch

Chelsea look to cap off a big and busy week — including an untelevised yet still fantastic 4-1 win over Arsenal in the League Cup — by taking three big points in the league against rivals Manchester City. City, like Chelsea, have had an uneven start to he season, and have already dropped two points, winning just two out of their first three matches.

Date / Time: Sunday, October 11, 2020, 14:30 BST; 9:30am EDT; 7:00pm IST
Venue: Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames, Greater London
Referee: Rebecca Welch
Forecast: Cool, Partly Cloudy, Dry

On TV: BT Sport (UK); NBCSN (USA); elsewhere
Streaming: NBC Sports Live (USA); The FA Player (countries without TV deals/listings)

Manchester City WFC team news: Though it has been less than two months since these sides last met, in the inaugural FA Women’s Community Shield, Manchester City are a different animal than what the Blues faced in August.

New signings Rose Lavelle and Sam Mewis have now been fully integrated into the squad, shown in part by Lavelle’s first goal for the club last time out against Everton in the FA Cup. Additional new signings Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood have strengthened the defensive flanks in a significant way. Bronze, in particular, brings a wealth of talent and experience to this City team. After being held out against Everton, she is expected to return to the lineup against Chelsea.

Manager Gareth Taylor has a few injury concerns, as he is without Aoife Mannion, Megan Campbell, and Lauren Hemp. Like his counterpart, Emma Hayes, Taylor has a multitude of options in attack. Chloe Kelly, has looked particularly dangerous in front of goal. Chelsea’s ability to contain her pace down the wing is likely to play a large part in the outcome tomorrow. Georgia Stanway has started the season well and may feature along with Ellen White. White needs just one goal to equal Nikita Paris as the all-time leading goal scorer (49) in FA Women’s Super League.

Chelsea FCW team news: Chelsea carry momentum into the game, coming off our best result of the season. The 4-1 win over Arsenal exemplified the Blues’s tendency to find peak form against top opposition. The stakes will be even higher against Manchester City, as both teams will look to avoid dropping points and falling further behind league leaders Arsenal and Everton.

While it’s always a challenge to predict Emma Hayes’ lineup, the center back pairing of Millie Bright and Magda Eriksson is fairly set in stone.

The midfield selections are less predictable, as the Blues often favor playing a very attacking lineup. Against the high press of Manchester City however, Chelsea will need outlets to escape pressure. I wouldn’t be surprised to see both Sophie Ingle and Melanie Leupolz start in support of Ji So-yun in midfield.

Guro Reiten found the back of the net twice against Arsenal and will expect to occupy the wing across from Fran Kirby, who has been stellar to begin the season. Sam Kerr will hope for redemption against Manchester City, after missing several gilt-edged chances in the Community Shield. But she may not get the chance, as Emma Hayes is likely to favor the in-form Bethany England, who scored to complete Arsenal’s burial on Wednesday.

Previously: After a cagey first half in the Community Shield, Jill Scott was sent off after the break, before Millie Bright scored from the parking lot. Erin Cuthbert sealed the victory with a late goal to guide the Blues to our first silverware of 2020-21.