by Emmanuel Faith (7/12/23).
Above: Chelsea’s Sam Kerr will be a key player in Sunday’s huge game with Arsenal, where she will come up against three of her national side team-mates. Photo: Mariella Prew for Impetus.
Chelsea have made a stunning start to the season with 28 goals scored, a +21 goal difference (GD), and 22 points accumulated. However, after a sticky start to the campaign, Arsenal are just three points behind as the two prepare to face off this coming Sunday at The Emirates.
This time last season, in comparison, Chelsea had just scored 20 goals with 14 GD and 21 points, occupying the second position on the table behind Manchester United. The Blues additionally set a WSL record for the highest number of consecutive home wins (20) with their victory against Leicester City before the international window.
After Arsenal’s shocking opening day loss to Liverpool and a dramatic draw to Manchester United, Jonas Eidevall’s side have now won six matches in a row, scoring sixteen goals during the process. They have achieved this feat with different approaches; sometimes they grind out victory at the very end like they did against Aston Villa, some other times, they come from behind to score barrage of goals like they did against Leicester City, or, like they did against West Ham United before the international break they come out red hot from the very start.
However, facing Emma Hayes’ versatile team might be the real test of their recent run. The season is still to reach its halfway mark, but in a timeline of 22 matches, any point dropped matters a lot which is why all eyes will be at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Beth Mead’s brace against West Ham just before the international window saw her become only the second player with 100 goals/assists in the WSL and other attackers like Australia’s Caitlin Foord and England’s Alessia Russo have been sharing the responsibilities of scoring goals when required with help from defenders like Steph Catley coming in handy when required.
The return of Beth Mead and Vivian Miedema have been great additions to Eidevall’s team and if there is a perfect time to challenge the current champions to make the title race more exciting, it is now. Do note; that it won’t be an easy feat.
Despite playing in Europe and plagued with a few injuries, Chelsea’s squad depth is intriguing and everyone is turning up when called upon. You could talk about the starlight stealing the spotlight – Aggie Beever Jones who has scored five goals in as many matches or Lauren James who has scored five goals in her last two club games, and has already surpassed her tally for last season. You could also make reference to the ever-commanding presence of the Australian captain, Sam Kerr who is still delivering when required despite not being at 100% fitness yet, or Mia Fishel who has been a reliable second striker when beckoned upon.
The Blues’ ability to create goals from any part of the pitch is one of the dangers that Arsenal will be wary of when they meet on Sunday as the outcome of this match could affect how competitive this year’s title race will be.
A victory for Chelsea will mean they are six points clear of their closest rivals while a victory for Arsenal will throw the title race wide open – a result either side of Manchester will hope for.
A draw will be an almost perfect outcome for any neutral as it keeps the race exciting for the Christmas season knowing that Chelsea’s WSL first match in January is against last season’s runners-up, Manchester United.
International breaks often come with different dynamics but this match-up is exactly what you want to watch after an international break. The exciting news is that there is a derby on December 10th that could be a title decider.
Mark your calendars, get your sweaters, it’s about to be an enthralling winter.
This is the third part of our series previewing Sunday’s big game with detailed coverage from tomorrow’s media conferences to come:
PART ONE: Maisie McNulty looks back at Chelsea’s season to date: https://impetusfootball.org/2023/12/05/chelsea-nothing-stops-them-so-far/
PART TWO: Ruby Joanne looks back at Arsenal’s season to date: https://impetusfootball.org/2023/12/06/red-hot-arsenal-primed-to-take-on-chelsea/
TOMORROW: Liberty Simons reports from Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall’s media conference and Ava-Marianne Elliott from Chelsea boss Emma Hayes’ media conference.
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