Key events
6 min: The ball is brilliantly switched over to Jusu Bah on the left, who looks to make a run into the box, but Hampton rushes off her line to collect.
4 min: Bronze wins the ball back for Chelsea on the right side with a perfectly-timed challenge on Medina, who appeals for a free kick. Absolutely nothing wrong with that tackle. Play continues.
2 min: Chelsea attempt to cause some early problems for United as the ball is sent into James, who taps it just wide.
Kick-off
We’re under way at the Progress with Unity Stadium!
The teams are out. Kick-off is just a few moments away!
Ahead of today’s match, Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor said: “We need to keep the confidence and keep working hard. I spoke after the Villa game about the mentality, the mindset. It’s a huge part of being ruthless in the box. That game could have been easily 3-0 half-time, and we need to have that mentality when we have the opportunities to kill the game after 45 minutes to do that.
“This week I was coaching the players in the final details: around timings of the runs in the box, being in the right zones, what type of crosses do we want to deliver, what are the connections between the crosser and the players who are making the runs in the box.
“It’s just for me to reinforce those messages, to coach them on the pitch, and make sure we get them right on the game on the weekend.”
Suzanne Wrack
“Don’t panic; that has to be United’s message. To an extent, it is very early to be writing the team’s obituary. The new head coach, Eva Olid, had only three weeks to try to implement her ideas about the way the team should play before that match against London City Lionesses on Friday 4 September. That is not long enough for her to peel away Marc Skinner’s imprint on the team…”
In her pre-match press conference, Manchester United head coach Eva Olid said: “I expect us to be confident with the ball, everyone showing we want to have the ball. It’s everything like that, not just about confidence.
“Of course we know they are good and there will be moments we have to defend, but we want to attack too, we want to put them in difficult situations where we hurt them, and that is the main focus.
“When we have the ball, we enjoy the ball, and we really have confidence to create chances, put them in difficult situations and hope that we can score goals too.”
How the WSL table looks currently…
In case you missed it, London City Lionesses suffered a 2-1 defeat to West Ham yesterday. Kelly Gago and Viviane Asseyi were on target for the Hammers at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.
Last three head-to-head results
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Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United (WSL)
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Chelsea 2-0 Manchester United (League Cup)
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Chelsea 2-1 Manchester United (FA Cup)
Melvine Malard is not available to face her former club today after suffering a knock in training. The Blues are also without Mayra Ramirez and Manaka Matsukubo.
Meanwhile, Jayde Riviere and Emma Watson are absent from the Manchester United squad.
Team news
Manchester United starting XI: Phallon Tullis-Joyce; Hanna Lundkvist, Maya Le Tissier (C), Dominique Janssen, Andrea Medina; Hinata Miyazawa, Julia Zigiotti; Jess Park, Ella Toone, Monica Jusu Bah; Elisabeth Terland.
Subs: Janina Leitzig, Scarlett Hill, Anna Sandberg, Jess Simpson, Jess Anderson, Simi Awujo, Rebeca Bernal, Mared Griffiths, Lea Schüller.
Chelsea starting line-up: Hannah Hampton; Ellie Carpenter, Lucy Bronze (C), Kadeisha Buchanan, Katie McCabe; Keira Walsh, Lexi Potter; Sjoeke Nüsken, Wieke Kaptein, Alyssa Thompson; Lauren James.
Subs: Livia Peng, Veerle Buurman, Nathalie Björn, Giulia Dragoni, Nelly Las, Maika Hamano, Sandy Baltimore, Aggie Beever-Jones.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to coverage of the WSL meeting between Manchester United and Chelsea. Both teams dropped points in their opening games last weekend, with United suffering a 2-1 loss to London City Lionesses and Chelsea held to a 1-1 draw by Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.
Today presents a completely different challenge. The Blues have won five of their last six games against United, with the remaining fixture resulting in a draw.
However, given it’s just the start of a new campaign, anything can happen.
Kick-off is at 12pm BST – join me!
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2026/sep/13/manchester-united-v-chelsea-womens-super-league-live
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