Chelsea Women cannot repeat Liverpool blip as WSL…

Chelsea Women cannot repeat Liverpool blip as WSL title race remains wide open

The Women's Super League returns this weekend and Chelsea are back in action with a top-of-the-table clash against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Emma Hayes ' side had a positive start to the 2022/23 campaign with just one blip in their opening game against Liverpool. Since the defeat to the WSL newcomers back in September, the Blues are unbeaten in all competitions and will hope to continue that form this year.

They kick things off in North London on Sunday with a fixture that could be decisive in the title race. Chelsea currently sit top of the table, three points clear of Arsenal, although the Gunners have a game in hand.

Manchester United are also in the mix, five points off top spot, also with a game in hand. Manchester City are also starting to creep further up the table and into the conversation.

Last season, Chelsea narrowly secured the title and beat out rivals Arsenal by just a single point. If Hayes' side are to make it four consecutive WSL trophies, they will need a near-perfect second half of the season and every point will be crucial.

Liverpool are the only team to beat Chelsea in all competitions this season and the Blues take on the Merseyside club twice in January. Once in the league and a week later in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Those fixtures are sandwiched by a Conti Cup quarter-final clash with London rivals Tottenham, who recently acquired Chelsea striker Beth England in a record-breaking deal. It's a huge month, one which could keep the team within reach of every trophy available this term.

The Champions League quarter-final and semi-final draw is set to take place on February 10 and Chelsea's potential route to Eindhoven will be plotted. They topped their group, which also consisted of Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid and Hayes will hope her side can go all the way to the final for the second time in the club's history.

Chelsea can either be drawn against Roma, Bayern Munich or current holders Lyon in the next round, with both legs set to take place in late March. The semi-finals are a month later, with the final on June 3 to be staged at the PSV Stadion.

The January transfer window is open, but the Blues are yet to confirm any incomings. They have, however, tied down a handful of key players to new contracts. Chelsea confirmed Wales international Sophie Ingle had signed a new deal at the end of last month, while Melanie Leupolz is the latest to agree fresh terms having been on maternity leave since October.

According to BBC Sport, the London club could make further additions in the January window should a target become available.

It's already shaping up to be one of the tightest title races in recent years and March will be a crucial period for Hayes' side. Chelsea will take on both Manchester clubs that month, two must-win fixtures if they're to push on.

The Blues' final home game of the WSL campaign will see them host rivals Arsenal in May. If the race for the trophy is to go right to the wire, this could be Chelsea's biggest game of the season.

Last season, the team won both the league title and the FA Cup, while they were also runners-up in the Conti Cup, having lost out 3-1 to Manchester City in the final. This term, Hayes will hope her side can go all the way in every competition as they look to add more silverware to their impressive tally.

In 2020/21, Chelsea came agonisingly close to securing the quadruple. They completed a domestic treble in incredible fashion but were beaten 4-0 by Barcelona in the Champions League final.

Arsenal Women completed the historic quadruple in the 2006/07 season without losing a single game, Hayes was actually part of the Gunners' coaching set-up at the time. She's previously admitted she didn't think the triumph would ever be matched again, but given her Chelsea side have come so close once before, it certainly isn't out of their reach.

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