Chelsea vs Aston Villa – News and Probable Lineups

Chelsea Women will continue their quest for Women’s Champions League qualification as they face Aston Villa Women at Kingsmeadow this Sunday.

The Blues are currently positioned third in the Women’s Super League table, while the visiting side is placed eighth.

Match overview

Having clinched six consecutive WSL titles, Chelsea finds themselves on the verge of losing their crown to leaders Manchester City.

Instead of focusing on the title race, the Blues are striving against Manchester United and Arsenal for the final two spots in the top three, which would ensure Women’s Champions League qualification.

Chelsea dropped to third place after a 1-1 draw with London City Lionesses last weekend, leaving them trailing Man United by one point and just two points ahead of Arsenal, who have two games in hand.

They followed up with a disappointing performance against the Gunners in the UWCL quarter-final at the Emirates Stadium, where Lauren James’s brilliant long-range goal was the only highlight in a 3-1 defeat.

As a result, Chelsea faces significant pressure in Wednesday’s return leg at Stamford Bridge to keep their aspirations of winning the UWCL for the first time alive.

However, before that, Sonia Bompastor’s side aims to secure a fourth consecutive home win against Aston Villa, a team they triumphed over in their previous meeting in September with a 3-1 scoreline.

On the other hand, Villa arrives at the weekend in eighth position, having recorded five wins, five draws, and eight defeats from their 18 league matches this season.

The Villans are just behind London City and Everton based on goal difference, keeping their hopes alive for a repeat of last season’s sixth-place finish.

To realize this aim, they might need to earn points from challenging fixtures against Chelsea and Arsenal, before concluding their campaign with more favorable matches against West Ham United and London City.

They head to Kingsmeadow with renewed confidence, having gained four points from their last two encounters, which included a solid goalless draw with Manchester City.

Natalia Arroyo’s side then pulled off a comeback to secure a narrow 2-1 victory over last-placed Leicester City, marking their first win since overcoming Brighton at home in January, and their first away victory since November.

They could potentially achieve back-to-back league wins for the first time this season, although this task will be daunting for a team that has lost all 11 of their previous WSL matchups against Chelsea.

Team News

Chelsea defender Nathalie Bjorn is set to miss the remainder of the season after sustaining an injury shortly after making her return in the League Cup final earlier this month.

Joining her on the injury list are Mayra Ramirez, Catarina Macario, Niamh Charles, and Millie Bright.

Forward Aggie Beever-Jones could miss a second straight match due to a recent injury.

On a brighter note, Australian duo Ellie Carpenter and Sam Kerr are available for selection after returning from the Asian Cup.

Meanwhile, Villa will be without Jill Baijings, Paula Tomas, Geórgia Mullett, Gabi Nunes, and Rachel Daly.

Former Liverpool midfielder Missy Bo Kearns is also unavailable for selection after announcing her pregnancy earlier this month.

Japan international Maja Hijikata is expected to be part of the matchday squad following her recent return from the Asian Cup in Australia.

Chelsea Women probable starting XI:

Hampton; Carpenter, Girma, Buurman, Baltimore; Riding Kaneryd, Potter, Kaptein, Nusken, Thompson; Kerr

Aston Villa Women probable starting XI:

Roebuck; Wilms, Patten, Parker, Nighswonger; Jean-Francois, Taylor; Grant, Kendall, Maritz; Hanson

Chelsea will be mindful of their second leg against Arsenal, yet they must focus on the task at hand in Sunday’s league match if they are to enhance their chances for a top-three finish.

We anticipate that the reigning WSL champions will meet the challenge head-on and exhibit their quality in what should be a relatively comfortable victory.