Chelsea’s campaign to make it back-to-back-to-back Women’s Super League titles will start the first weekend of September, with Emma Hayes’ squad — now including Lauren James! — taking on big rivals Arsenal at Meadow Park.
Arsenal finished third last season, just as the season before, behind Chelsea and Manchester City, in that order both times. The Gunners have recently signed former Manchester City star Nikita Parris for a club-record fee from Olympique Lyonnais, bringing her back to the WSL after two years in France.
Our fixtures for the 2021/22 @BarclaysFAWSL season have been announced!
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) July 23, 2021
The exact date of this opening match — or any match on the schedule in fact — is yet to be confirmed. The league’s new broadcast contracts signed with the BBC and Sky Sports mean that they will get to choose the final dates and times, just as they do in the Premier League. That’s the price of progress...
While you should be watching all the games, the dates to circle on the calendar include the two games against Manchester City, and the home game against Manchester United in the last round. The WSL title race has come down to the final matchday more often than not.
The full schedule is as follows:
September
3rd/4th/5th - Arsenal (A)
10th/11th/12th – Everton (H)
24th/25th/26th – Manchester United (A)October
1st/2nd/3rd – Brighton & Hove Albion (H)
8th/9th/10th – Leicester City (H)November
5th/6th/7th – Aston Villa (A)
12th/13th/14th – Manchester City (A)
19th/20th/21st – Birmingham City (H)December
10th/11th/12th – Reading (A)
17th/18th/19th – West Ham United (H)January
7th/8th/9th – Tottenham Hotspur (H)
14th/15th/16th - Everton (A)
21st/22nd/23rd – Brighton & Hove Albion (A)February
4th/5th/6th – Manchester City (H)
11th/12th/13th - Arsenal (H)March
3rd/4th/5th – West Ham United (A)
11th/12th/13th – Aston Villa (H)
25th/26th/27th – Leicester City (A)April
1st/2nd/3rd – Reading (H)
22nd/23rd/24th – Tottenham Hotspur (A)
29th/30th/1st – Birmingham City (A)May
7th/8th – Manchester United (H)