Something has to give in the Women's Super League on Sunday, as Chelsea put their perfect record on the line versus Manchester United, the only other unbeaten team in the division.

The clash at Kingsmeadow was postponed earlier in the season due to player welfare issues arising from the Blues' busy Champions League schedule. This is therefore the last fixture before the international break and will draw all 12 teams even on eight matches played. 

While Sonia Bompastor's Chelsea made history with last week's victory over title rivals Manchester City, this is United's longest unbeaten start to a WSL campaign since they went through 10 matchdays without defeat in 2020-21. 

A Chelsea victory would see the defending champions take a commanding five-point lead at the summit ahead of the hiatus, while a United win could blow the title race wide open. Which way will it go?

Leading the Pack

Despite a change in the dugout, Chelsea have started this season with the same relentless pace as they ended Emma Hayes' reign, with Wednesday's 3-0 win over Celtic making it 11 victories in as many games across all competitions.

Chelsea earned a reputation as mentality monsters under Hayes, but this is actually their best-ever start to a WSL season.

They have never scored more goals (25), conceded fewer goals (three), had a higher goal difference (+22) or a higher points total (21) than their current tallies after seven matches of a campaign.

Dating back to last season, the Blues have won 10 consecutive WSL matches, their longest ever winning run in the competition. The last team to have a longer winning run was City, who registered 14 straight victories between November and April last season.

Last Saturday, with a 2-0 win over City at Stamford Bridge, Bompastor became the first manager to triumph in each of their first seven games in charge of a team in the WSL. Chelsea, meanwhile, are just the third team in WSL history to win each of their opening seven games of a season, after Man City (2017-18) and Arsenal (2018-19).

This is nothing new for Bompastor, who has won 40 of her last 42 league matches as a manager with Lyon and Chelsea. 

Across her career as a whole, Bompastor now averages 2.66 points per game and has a brilliant 85.9% win ratio across all competitions, having won 110 of her 128 competitive matches as a head coach. Her teams have shipped just 78 goals while plundering 414.

Marc Skinner’s United find themselves in the chasing pack, six points back of Chelsea in fifth but knowing a win could take them second. The likes of City, Brighton and Arsenal may be quietly cheering them on in the hope that they can prevent Chelsea from pulling away.

United have, though, drawn three of their last five games, with a home stalemate versus Aston Villa earlier this month a particular source of frustration. 

They have, however, been incredibly tough to beat, something that can be attributed to their excellent defensive record. Across Europe's top five leagues, Lyon and United (two each) are the only teams to have conceded fewer goals than Chelsea (three) in league play this campaign. 

United have therefore conceded the fewest goals in the WSL this season.They are one of just three teams to concede two or fewer goals after seven games of a WSL season, along with Birmingham City in 2011 (two) and Man City in both 2016 (none) and 2019-20 (one).

Chelsea have already scored 25 league goals this term, with their xG (expected goals) overperformance of +10.2 (14.8 xG) being comfortably the best in the WSL. United's defence can expect to face its toughest test yet, and they must hold firm if they are to earn a result.

Colombian Queen

One Chelsea player to really stand out this season is Colombia forward Mayra Ramirez. Her power, agility and skill has left defenders shaken across the league, with several big goals – including one versus title rivals Arsenal – showing why the Blues splashed out to acquire her.

She joined in January from Levante for a British record €450,000 (£375,000) plus add-ons. The 25-year-old has wasted no time in acclimatising to the WSL and becoming a focal point for Bompastor's attack, with six goals and four assists in 13 league games for Chelsea.

She is averaging a goal or assist every 79 minutes in the WSL. In league history, only four players have a better minutes per goal or assist ratio than Ramirez (minimum 500 minutes played).

She has scored three and assisted two in Chelsea's seven league games in 2024-25, putting her level with Guru Reiten (five goals) and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (three goals, two assists) for the most goal involvements for the Blues this campaign. 

Only Man City duo Lauren Hemp (seven) and Khadija Shaw (eight) have registered more goal contributions than the Chelsea trio this season. 

Bompastor's Blues certainly give their forwards plenty of opportunities, with Ramirez recording 40 of her touches (19.8%) in the opposition area this season. Only five WSL players have recorded a greater percentage of touches in opposing areas in 2024-25 (minimum 20 touches in the opposition box).

Ramirez's physical prowess only adds to her reputation as an all-round threat. Ramirez has contested more duels (79) than any other Chelsea player this term, winning 27 of them. Only Lucy Bronze (30), Sjoeke Nusken (34) and Millie Bright (35) have won more duels for the Blues. Having a forward who is not afraid to lead the press from the front helps Bompastor's team pen teams in – only Man City (86 times) have won possession in the final third more often than Chelsea (68) in the WSL this season.

While City have forced more high turnovers (134 to 122) and shot-ending high turnovers (32 to 22) than Chelsea this term, the Blues have turned six of their high turnovers into goals, compared to five for Gareth Taylor's team. 

Ramirez has quickly established herself as one of the WSL's best all-round forwards and will be one to watch on Sunday.

United’s Saving Grace

United, meanwhile, will be relying on Grace Clinton, who has picked up where she left off after enjoying a breakout campaign on loan at Tottenham in 2023-24.

Clinton is not only United’s leading scorer with three league goals this term, but also contributes out of possession, contesting 111 duels to rank second in the WSL, behind Katie Stengel (113).

She has won 55 of these duels, more than any other player in the WSL, while she also leads all of her Red Devils team-mates for tackles attempted (26) and won (17).

She recently shone for England in a 2-1 friendly win over South Africa, leading many to suggest she could be the long-term midfield solution for both club and country. 

Clinton's ability to hit the box from deep has become a key facet of her game, and only striker Elisabeth Terland (35) has had more touches in the opposition box among United players than her 23. Clinton is also second to Terland for shots taken (15) among United players.

Clinton is not the only player to watch in red, though. Since the start of October, only Man City duo Hemp (two goals, five assists) and Shaw (six goals, one assist) have been involved in more WSL goals than Celin Bizet (one goal, three assists), who got off the mark for the club versus Leicester City last time out.

Another standout performer has been defender Maya Le Tissier. While United's resolute rearguard has put them among the chasing pack early on this term, it is with the ball that she really stands out from the crowd.

Le Tissier has enjoyed a team-leading 601 touches in the WSL this term, averaging 85.8 per game, while no United player has attempted (505) or completed (397) as many passes as she has.

Only Man City’s Alex Greenwood (120) – an England colleague of Le Tissier's – has played more passes ending in the final third than her 90, among all WSL players.

Red Devils face Uphill Battle

While United have been excellent in defence so far this term, keeping a league-high five clean sheets, their 8.2 expected goals against (xGA) is just the fourth-best figure in the league, trailing Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City and suggesting they have benefited from poor finishing by opposing sides.

They may not get any good fortune at Kingsmeadow. Chelsea have put away 14 of their 23 big chances (60.9%) in 2024-25, while United have converted eight of their 17 (47.1%). If Skinner's team are to halt Chelsea's perfect start, they will need to combine solidity at the back with greater ruthlessness at the other end. 

Chelsea are very much a bogey team for United, who have beaten every WSL team they have faced except for the Blues, drawing once and losing eight times against them to date. 

They have lost more games, scored fewer goals (seven) and conceded more goals (27) against Chelsea than they have against any other opponent, being routed 6-0 when the teams last met on the final day of 2023-24, as Hayes' Blues clinched a fifth straight league title.

The Opta supercomputer gives United a very slim chance of changing the record this weekend. Our predictive model had them coming out on top in just 12.2% of pre-match simulations, with a 16.3% chance of earning a draw.

Chelsea are heavy favourites to win, triumphing in 71.5% of scenarios. The Blues currently retain their title in a whopping 90.1% of the supercomputer's season simulations, with United topping the pile in 0.1%.

Should Bompastor oversee another success against a potential rival, talk of Chelsea achieving the first unbeaten 22-game WSL season will only intensity. There remains a long way to go, but all the signs suggest they will take some stopping. 

Sonia Bompastor says "every record has to be broken" after becoming the first manager in Women's Super League history to win their first seven games.

Chelsea maintained their perfect start to life under Bompastor on Saturday with a 2-0 victory over title rivals Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.

In a tight affair, it took two goals in four minutes from Mayra Ramirez and Guro Reiten late in the second half to wrap up the points for the Blues, who leapfrogged City to the top of the WSL table.

Chelsea are just the third team in the WSL to ever win each of their opening seven games of a campaign after City in 2017-18 (finished second) and Arsenal in 2018-19 (finished first).

While Bompastor admitted she did not care too much for personal records, she was delighted with how the team pushed to ensure they would come out on top.

"Every record has to be broken," Bompastor told Sky Sports. "Every game is an opportunity for the opposition to break that record.

"I don't care about myself. The players are doing great. I'm so proud of them.

"I really liked the performance, especially more in the second half. The girls were great tonight.

"We could have scored earlier in the game, but two goals against Man City in the second half and a clean sheet. I think that is a great performance and a great result.

"Sometimes [in the first half] we had time on the ball and space, and we were rushing our decisions. This is what we spoke about at half-time and in the second half, we were more efficient. We had the opportunities, and we scored two great goals."

Erin Cuthbert was one of the standout players for the Blues as she orchestrated things from midfield. She won nine duels (out of 11), more than any other Chelsea player.

It was perhaps not the most memorable game between the top two, but the Scotland international believes it proved Bompastor's mentality to winning games.

"It was a different type of performance. We have dominated a lot of games possession-wise, but tonight we were happy to sit behind the ball, be compact," she told BBC Sport.

"It was more of a traditional performance, but Sonia is a winner and will do whatever it takes to win, and we got the tactics spot on today.

"We are loving [playing under Bompastor]. Emma [Hayes] left some brilliant foundations, and Sonia has added to that."

This weekend brings the match everyone has been waiting for the Women's Super League.

Stamford Bridge will be the stage as Chelsea host Manchester City on Saturday in a heavyweight tussle that promises to give fans an early indication of where the title may be heading this season. 

Sonia Bompastor has started her Chelsea tenure emphatically, and she could become the first manager to win each of their first seven games in the WSL. If she felt any pressure when stepping into Emma Hayes' shoes, she certainly is not showing it.

Chelsea have been in hot form in front of goal this term, scoring 23 goals across their first six games, having played one less than Manchester City due to their clash with Manchester United – who are also unbeaten – being rescheduled for next week. 

The Blues' confidence will be sky-high going into this crucial double-header against the Manchester clubs, having maintained their unbeaten record across all competitions under Bompastor by overcoming Celtic in the Women's Champions League on Wednesday.

Chelsea also have a strong record in this fixture. They have won four of their last five home games against City in the WSL, though they did lose their most recent such game 1-0 back in February, so Gareth Taylor's visitors will think they have a chance.  

Man City sit top of the table and will not want to relinquish their advantage at the summit, and while last year's away victory over Chelsea was rare, they are unbeaten in their last three WSL meetings with the Blues, with two wins. 

Overall, only Arsenal (10) have recorded more wins over them in the competition than City's seven, and another would represent a real statement of their title intent.

Goals win Games… and Titles

With the last title race coming down to goal difference in the final game of the season, City are clearly haunted by their inability to get across the line. Taylor and his players are determined not to see a repeat of that heartbreaking near miss in 2024-25.

The City head coach told Opta Analyst exclusively in pre-season: "You would be surprised how strong it makes you and how mentally determined you become.

"Of course, we will use that frustration, disappointment, to really use it as energy for this season."

Banishing that nightmare is high on their agenda. They have scored 16 goals in just seven matches this season (2.2 per game), but this still represents a marginal underperformance of their underlying figures, given they have generated 16.59 xG (2.37 xG per game).

However, if we compare City's attacking output to that from last season, it is clear they have endured a drop-off. In the WSL in 2023-24, City averaged 2.77 goals and 2.19 xG per game. Though they were eclipsed by Hayes' free-scoring Chelsea, they took more of their chances than anticipated based on the quality of opportunities they created.

City successfully got 183 of their 423 shots on target last term (43.2%), whereas this season they have hit the target with 47 of their 125 attempts (37.6%). Their shot conversion rate has also dropped from 14.4% to 12.8% and their big-chance conversion rate has fallen from 41.67% (30/72) to 37.04% (10/27). 

So there is still work to do for City if they are to match Chelsea's pace, with the Blues already boasting a goal difference eight better than that of their rivals.

City might be able to point to some misfortune on that front, though, as their total xG figure is the highest in the league so far this term.

With 23 goals, Chelsea have greatly overperformed their 13.76 xG, with that +9.24 overperformance by far the biggest in the competition. The Blues have been incredibly efficient, having the most shots on target (48) in the competition – one more than Man City (47) despite having 15 fewer shots overall. 

The Blues' big-chance conversion rate of 60.87% is also the best in the WSL (14/23), as is their shot conversion rate (20.91%). By contrast, City's 12.8% shot conversion rate ranks fourth.

Chelsea may have relied on Lauren James, Sam Kerr and Fran Kirby to provide the goals in previous seasons, but they have become a very different proposition under Bompastor. They have had 13 different goalscorers in the WSL this season, while City have only had six, ranking fourth, also behind Tottenham (eight) and Arsenal (seven).

Shaw's Golden Touch 

While City have not matched Chelsea's ruthlessness this season, that does not apply to last season's Golden Boot winner, Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw.

She has seven goals in as many games this season, overperforming her league-high xG figure of 4.83 xG, and also leads the competition for shots (28) and shots on target (12).

Shaw has been presented with nine big chances and has converted five of them, which is the highest conversion rate (55.56%) of the 13 players to have had more than three such opportunities in the league this term.

Of players to have had at least 10 shots in the WSL, she also has the joint-best shot conversion rate (25%) – level with Nikita Parris (three goals from 12 shots) and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (three goals from 12 shots).

Since the beginning of last season, meanwhile, Shaw has scored 28 goals, at least 13 more than any other player in the competition (Elisabeth Terland is next on 15). 

City were hoping their reliance on Shaw would be lessened when they swooped for the WSL's all-time leading scorer in Vivianne Miedema, but a recurring knee issue has left the former Arsenal star on the sidelines once more. Prior to her latest injury setback, Miedema had scored two goals in five games in all competitions for City.

Shaw will have support from elsewhere, though. Lauren Hemp recently became the youngest player in WSL history to reach 50 goals and also leads the way for assists (five) and chances created (26) in the competition this season.

However, despite her outstanding creative metrics, Hemp has underperformed her 3.26 xG, scoring twice from opportunities that should have resulted in at least one more goal.

Hemp has struggled to convert her big chances this term, only putting away two of the eight that have fallen their way, though both Jessica Park (two goals from 1.79 xG) and Jill Roord (three goals from 2.34 xG) should offer more support to Shaw.

New Boss, New Look

It is fair to say Bompastor has taken to the Chelsea job like a duck to water, becoming just the second WSL manager to win her first six games at a new club, after Jonas Eidevall with Arsenal. No boss has ever started with seven consecutive WSL wins.

The French coach has made a couple of key tweaks to Hayes' setup. Guro Reiten has been one major beneficiary, operating predominantly from a left-wing role (where she has played 68% of her minutes) but also being fielded centrally on occasion. 

Reiten is Chelsea's leading scorer with four goals in six games, overperforming her 3.0 xG, while she also leads the Blues for shots (18) and chances created (12), providing two assists.
 
Chelsea's young talent has also come to the fore under their new boss. Aggie Beever-Jones is having a big impact despite only making two WSL starts, netting three times.

Only Reiten has had more shots than Beever-Jones' 14, while no Chelsea player has hit the target as many times as she has (nine). Beever-Jones has had a knack for being in the right place at the right time, converting two of her four big chances and averaging a goal every 83 minutes.
 
Another player to find a new lease of life under Bompastor is Rytting Kaneryd, who leads all Chelsea players for goal contributions (five). The Sweden international also leads all of her team-mates for involvements in open-play shot-ending sequences, with 33.
 
Sjoeke Nusken has also been particularly influential on both sides of the ball, creating 11 chances in open play while also attempting (20) and winning (13) more tackles than any of her team-mates.

Timing is Everything

One theme of Chelsea's season has been their ability to come out of the blocks fast and bury opponents early on, such as when they netted twice in the first 16 minutes of their 2-1 win at Arsenal. The Blues have scored 11 first-half goals in the WSL this season, more than any other team. Their 7.28 first-half xG is also the highest in the league, beating City's 6.78.

Given their overall tally of 23 goals, it is no surprise that Chelsea have also scored the most second-half goals (12), with City second with 10. City have, however, been notably stronger in the second periods of games – often requiring late goals to earn results – and have the highest second-half xG (9.8), with Chelsea's second-half xG down at 6.5.

So, Chelsea are often faster starters, but must be aware of City's ability to pull results out of the fire. Saturday's visitors have gained the most points from losing positions in the WSL this term (seven). Chelsea have not gained any points from losing positions, though that is, of course, because they are yet to trail at any point.

After Chelsea's magnificent start to the campaign, the Opta supercomputer still views them as hot favourites to retain their crown. The Blues are given a huge 79.3% chance of winning the title compared to City's 19.9%, with Taylor's team finishing second again in 66.8% of our 2024-25 season simulations.

The significance of this game, though, means those figures could drastically change after Saturday. Bompastor's team are given a 53.7% chance of emerging victorious, while City's hope of victory are rated at 22.5%.

City would surely be content with a draw on the road, which would halt Chelsea's winning streak and maintain their advantage at the summit, and 23.7% of the supercomputer's pre-match simulations finished all square. 

Sonia Bompastor was not happy with Chelsea's performance in their 2-1 away victory against Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday, despite it extending her 100% record since joining the club.

The visitors had to fight back from a goal down after conceding a Murphy Agnew opener on 22 minutes but had turned things around 10 minutes later. Aggie Beever-Jones, meanwhile, was sent off in second-half stoppage time for two bookable offences.

While Bompastor was not impressed by her own side, she was quick to give credit to their opposition.

"I knew it would be a tough game for us, especially because of the Celtic mentality. They showed a lot of heart, and they played with a lot of energy. We were expecting that they were going to be really motivated," she said.

Chelsea came into this game without Millie Bright, Mayra Ramirez, Sjoeke Nusken and Kadeisha Buchanan, with Bompastor deciding to leave them out of the squad. It was a decision that resulted in some rustiness among the starters, according to the manager.

"I decided to rotate my squad, so sometimes it can happen that the players don't get the same chemistry together. But I wanted to have a better impression from my team. I'm really happy with the three points and the victory, but not really happy with the performance. We were not efficient enough tonight," she said.

"Every game is always an opportunity to learn. Tonight I learned a lot and I will share that with my players as a team, but also as individuals."

Following their Champions League victory, Chelsea face WSL leaders Manchester City at the weekend, with their opposition having dropped just two points in their opening seven league games.

Having given some fringe players a run out in Scotland, Bompastor was pleased at the prospect of a fresher squad going into such a big game.

"There are some positives. With our squad, we are still able to rotate players and rest some. We have the three points and the victory, so we stay in the good dynamic for that, but in terms of the performance, we needed to do a better job in different aspects," she added.

"As a manager, I always have different plans for the game and the three substitutions were planned. That's the positive. We are just now moving on and going into the Manchester City game exactly with the plans we wanted to have."

Just three sides remain without a defeat heading into matchday eight of the Women's Super League season, but two of the early pacesetters square off this Saturday.

Manchester City and Chelsea lead the way in the early-season standings, though Sonia Bompastor's Blues are yet to drop a point from their six games thus far.

That blockbuster encounter, set for Saturday, headlines the upcoming WSL weekend, but there is also plenty more to whet the appetite. 

Brighton will be looking to keep pace with the top two against West Ham, while a North London Derby is in the offing between Tottenham and Arsenal. 

Sunday's action sees winless Everton square off against Merseyside rivals Liverpool, while Manchester United travel to the King Power Stadium to take on Leicester City. 

But who does the Opta supercomputer predict will emerge victorious this time around? Here, we delve into the pre-match facts for each of this weekend's fixtures. 

BRIGHTON V WEST HAM

Brighton have been the surprise package of the WSL this term, sitting third in the standings, but they were on the end of a 5-0 defeat to a rejuvenated Arsenal last time out.

Despite the Seagulls' heavy defeat, they are handed a win probability of 51.3%, with West Ham given a 23.9% chance of following up their victory over Leicester with another three points. A draw is given a 24.8% likelihood of happening. 

Brighton have won six of their last eight WSL meetings with West Ham (D1 L1), with the Seagulls winning more games against the Hammers than any other opponent in the competition (seven).

They won four straight matches at the Amex between 2019 and 2022 but are winless in three games at the venue since (D1 L2), including a 1-1 draw with Manchester United last month. 

West Ham have won just one of their last 14 away games in the Women’s Super League (D3 L10), conceding in each of those matches; the Hammers could now equal their longest run of away matches in the competition without a clean sheet (15 in December 2020).

But Hammers boss Rehanne Skinner has won each of her last four WSL games against Brighton without conceding, a run that includes her biggest ever victory in the competition, winning 8-0 with Tottenham in October 2022.

TOTTENHAM V ARSENAL

Renee Slegers maintained her unbeaten start as Arsenal's interim head coach with arguably the most dominant display of her tenure, beating Juventus 4-0 in midweek. 

And she is predicted to continue her winning streak this weekend, with Arsenal handed a whopping win probability of 67.2%, the largest of any side on matchday eight.

Tottenham, who were on the end of a 4-0 thrashing by Man City last time out, are given a 14.9% chance of victory, with the threat of a draw at 17.9%. 

Arsenal have won seven of their nine games against Tottenham in the WSL and have either kept a clean sheet (five) or conceded exactly once (four) in each of those meetings.

Following their 5-0 win over Brighton, Arsenal will be looking to win back-to-back WSL games for the first time this season. This is the Gunners’ longest wait for consecutive wins from the start of a WSL season since 2016 (ninth game).

Tottenham have won only one of their nine meetings with Arsenal in the WSL (D1 L7), but that sole victory did come in this fixture last season, winning 1-0 thanks to a Martha Thomas goal.

Only Vivianne Miedema (eight) has scored more WSL goals in the North London Derby than Arsenal’s Caitlin Foord. She has netted seven times in just eight league appearances against Spurs and will be looking to build on her goal against Juve in midweek. 

CHELSEA V MAN CITY

The standout fixture of matchday eight sees Stamford Bridge host Chelsea's top-of-the-table clash with Man City. 

Despite Gareth Taylor's side sitting at the summit of the standings, they are handed a 22.5% win probability, with the Blues' hopes of salvaging a point ranked slightly higher at 23.7%. Chelsea, meanwhile, won 53.7% of Opta's data-led simulations. 

Bompastor could become the first ever manager to win each of their first seven games in the WSL. Her Blues are aiming to become the third team in WSL history to win each of their opening seven games of a campaign after this weekend's opponents did so in 2017-18 (finished 2nd) and Arsenal did so in 2018-19 (finished 1st).

Chelsea have also won all six of their previous matches at Stamford Bridge in the WSL by an aggregate score of 17-4, the most games any team has ever played in the competition at a home venue while maintaining a 100% record.

However, City are unbeaten in their last three WSL meetings with Chelsea (W2 D1) while only Arsenal (10) have recorded more wins over the Blues in the competition than the Citizens (seven).

City have also won 17 of their 19 WSL games in 2024 (D1 L1) and could win 18 top-flight games in a single calendar year for the very first time.

ASTON VILLA V CRYSTAL PALACE

Aston Villa are one of only two sides in the division yet to record a win this season, but are predicted to get their first three points on the board at home to Crystal Palace. 

Opta's data-led simulations favoured the Villans in 51.1% of instances. A draw is given a 24.8% chance of happening, with Palace handed a win probability of just 24.1%. 

This will be the second meeting between the two sides already this season, with the Villans winning 2-0 at home in a League Cup group-stage game in October.

This will, however, be the first time Palace have faced Villa in a league game since September 2019, when the Eagles suffered a 6-0 home loss to the eventual 2019-20 Championship winners.  

Crystal Palace have won four points from their three away games in the WSL so far this season (W1 D1 L1), becoming just the third newly promoted side to do so after Tottenham in 2019-20 (six) and Aston Villa in 2020-21 (six). No such team has ever picked up seven points from their first four matches on the road in a single campaign. 

But Villa are unbeaten in six previous WSL games against newly promoted opposition (W4 D2), though they did draw their last two such home matches (3-3 v Liverpool, 2-2 v Bristol City), and have kept two clean sheets in their last four league games, the same number of shutouts as they managed across their previous 15 WSL matches.

EVERTON V LIVERPOOL

Everton's 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace saw them pick up just their third point of the season, but they will be hoping to earn their first three points of the year against rivals Liverpool.

The Toffees are handed a 32.6% win probability compared to Liverpool's 41.9%, the closest margin between any two sides on matchday eight. A draw is given a 25.5% likelihood. 

Everton, however, have won four of their last seven meetings with Liverpool in the WSL (D2 L1), more than they managed in their first 10 Merseyside Derbies in the competition (W3 D3 L4).

But they have struggled at Goodison Park. They have not won a WSL game in four attempts at the iconic stadium (D2 L2), failing to score in three of those games. Their most recent such match came earlier this month, losing 5-0 to Chelsea.

While the Reds are winless in their last three trips across Stanley Park, they are enjoying their longest ever unbeaten run away from home in the WSL, going eight without defeat since losing to Man City in January (W6 D2). Only Chelsea (nine) and City (eight) have won more times on the road in the top flight in 2024 than the Reds (six).

The Reds' Marie-Therese Hobinger will be the player to watch. She has created more chances from set-pieces than any other player in the WSL this season (10), while each of her seven assists in the competition have come via corners.

LEICESTER V MAN UTD

One of two games that conclude the weekend's action takes place in the East Midlands, with Man United, the third team without a loss this term, taking on Leicester. 

The Red Devils are, unsurprisingly, favoured by Opta's data-led simulations and are handed a 66.7% chance of emerging victorious. Leicester are given just a 15.2% chance of winning, with a draw valued at 18.1%.

Though they are unbeaten in the WSL this season, United have drawn their last three league matches. The last team to draw four in a row in the competition was Aston Villa in May 2021 (five in a row).

United have conceded just twice in their opening six league games this season, with only Man City in 2016 (0) and 2019-20 (one) and Arsenal in 2022-23 (one) ever leaking fewer goals at this stage of a campaign. The Red Devils’ opponents have by far the worst conversion rate in the competition this term, however (2.9%).

The Foxes are winless in six previous meetings with United in the WSL (D1 L5), only facing Arsenal (P7 L7) and Villa (P7 D2 L5) more often in the competition without winning.

Elisabeth Terland has scored three goals in her last two WSL appearances against Leicester, with the striker only netting in more games in the competition against Tottenham (four different games).

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has said that they will be without four key players ahead of their Champions League game away to Celtic on Wednesday.

Bompastor confirmed that Millie Bright, Mayra Ramirez, Sjoeke Nusken and Kadeisha Buchanan have not travelled to Scotland for their encounter at Celtic Park.

The Blues know a victory will seal their progression to the knockout stages, though have decided to rest a few of their key players during a hectic fixture schedule. 

Their trip to Scotland will be the second of three matches inside seven days in all competitions for Bompastor's side and, as a result, she has decided to rotate her squad.

"The squad is in a good place and we have a good dynamic and we are full of confidence," she told a press conference

"We have been playing a lot of games and this week we play three games so it’s important to manage players as individuals.

“We have some players who didn’t travel for this game. Kadeisha Buchanan, Millie Bright, Sjoeke Nusken and Mayra Ramirez didn’t travel."

Chelsea come into the game with a 100% record in all competitions under Bompastor, including two wins from two against Real Madrid and Twente in the Champions League.

And they will be confident of maintaining their perfect run, having lost just one of their previous 20 group stage matches in the competition (W14 D5) and are unbeaten across their last 14 (W11 D3). 

“As you know, Chelsea have a good squad with quality and a good team will start the game and be competitive because we want to finish first in this group," she said.

Their early-season form has them second in the Women's Super League and top of their Champions League group, at least three points ahead of any other team.

Despite resting players, Bompastor reassured people that it was Chelsea's ambition to fight on all fronts.

“The Champions League is important and we have ambition and we want to make sure we finish first in the group," she said.

“We have ambitions and if we want to go for all the competitions then you need to beat every team.

“It will start again in March and that’s when the really important games start, but right now we are focused on the group stage.”

Chelsea maintained their perfect start to the Women's Super League season by thrashing Everton 5-0 at Goodison Park on Sunday.

They took the lead in the 14th minute when Kadeisha Buchanan's teasing delivery was headed beyond Courtney Brosnan by Agnes Beever-Jones.

The visitors then struck twice shortly before the break, first through Erin Cuthbert, who dispossessed Veatriki Sarri before sending a left-footed effort into the bottom corner. 

Guro Reiten then got herself on the scoresheet, squeezing the ball in at Brosnan's front post after being picked out by Sjoeke Nusken's searching ball into the box. 

Chelsea continued to dominate after the interval, but had to wait until the 82nd minute to notch their fourth through Wieke Kaptein's fine effort into the roof of the net. 

Just over a minute later, Ashley Lawrence rounded off a fine team move to tap home Oriane Jean-Francois' cross to seal yet another win for Sonia Bompastor's Blues. 

Data Debrief: Brilliant Blues march on

The triumph saw manager Bompastor become the third manager to win their first five games in the WSL, after David Parker and Jonas Eidevall. 

And it was arguably the most dominant win her tenure. The Blues racked up 26 shots compared to Everton's six, ending the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 3.16 compared to their opponents' measly 0.37.

Chelsea have now equalled their longest winning run in the WSL against a single team, with the victory over the Toffees their 10th in a row, going level with their current win streaks against Tottenham and West Ham. 

Sonia Bompastor was pleased by Chelsea's efficiency in their Women's Champions League win over Twente but has been dealt a possible injury blow to Lauren James.

The Blues won 3-1 on Thursday, with Aggie Beever-Jones, Maika Hamano and Guro Reiten before Nikee van Dijk's consolation.

But they were forced to play without Lauren James, who pulled out of the game after sustaining a foot injury in the warm-up.

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd replaced her for the match and was one of Chelsea's more influential attacking players, getting the assist for the opening goal.

However, with Tottenham next up in the Women's Super League, Bompastor is not sure if James will be available, while the winger is also set to link up with England next week.

"In the last moment of the warm-up she felt something in her foot," Bompastor said.

"At the moment it's too early for me to say something else about LJ. We will have to assess her [on Friday] in London and see how she feels."

Bompastor made seven changes from their win over Arsenal for their trip to the Netherlands, with Beever-Jones and Hamano among those brought in.

Beever-Jones had four shots, creating 0.51 expected goals (xG), while also having seven touches in the box and creating one chance.

Chelsea dominated overall, also having 31 touches in the opposition box to Twente's 31, and entered the final third 74 times.

And the manager was delighted with the front-footed approach her side took as they maintained their 100% start under her.

"I'm really happy with the first half," said Bompastor.

"We started the game strongly. We were efficient, being able to score really quickly. We saw some good movement from the players. For me, we just got the three points, which is really important. We are top now, which is the main goal.

"Also, we had the opportunity to rotate and manage some players. Some players could rest in preparation for the game on Sunday.

"It just shows how much quality there is in the group, and also how much I trust everyone in the group. Some of them were able to start and play 90 minutes in the Champions League.

"It's good to have the quality in the group to make sure we can rotate and play every single game with a lot of competition." 

Sonia Bompastor's perfect start to life at Chelsea continued on Thursday as the Blues beat Twente 3-1 to go three points clear at the top of their Women's Champions League group.

Having overcome Real Madrid in their Group B opener last week, Chelsea cruised to victory in the Netherlands to strengthen their grip on top spot.

Aggie Beever-Jones saw her 25-yard strike deflect in for a seventh-minute opener, and Chelsea were 2-0 up within 18 minutes as Maika Hamano lobbed goalkeeper Olivia Clarke.

Guro Reiten scored Chelsea's third from the penalty spot when Lieske Carleer fouled Mayra Ramirez just after the hour mark, with Nikee van Dijk netting a consolation for Twente five minutes later.

In the other match in Group B, Madrid got up and running with a resounding 4-0 victory over Celtic, with Scotland's Caroline Weir among the goals for Los Blancos.

Weir curled in a terrific opener from distance after just seven minutes, though Celtic then held firm and stayed in the contest until the latter stages.

However, Signe Bruun, Caroline Moller and Linda Caicedo all got on the scoresheet in the final 20 minutes as Madrid put some gloss on the scoreline at the Alfredo di Stefano Stadium.

They were not the only convincing winners on Thursday, as Roma crushed Galatasaray 6-1 to go top of Group A on goal difference, with captain Manuela Giugliano scoring twice and laying on two assists.

The other game in Group A saw European heavyweights Wolfsburg and Lyon go head-to-head, with the French giants leaving Germany with a statement 2-0 victory.

Wolfsburg's Alexandra Popp joined Wendie Renard as the only players to make 100 Women's Champions League appearances, but the French centre-back overshadowed her by nodding in an eighth-minute opener.

Lyon had the better of the contest throughout, finishing with 2.75 expected goals (xG) to Wolfsburg's 0.83, and they killed the match from the penalty spot eight minutes into the second half, Lindsey Horan scoring after Melchie Dumornay was felled by Janina Minge. 

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor explained why Catarina Macario was left out of the squad to face FC Twente in their second Champions League group game.

Having brought a squad of 22 players, Macario was not among them, despite having featured in Chelsea's 2-1 victory over Arsenal last weekend.

The Brazilian joined the Blues from Lyon on a free transfer last year, and has scored two goals in 10 appearances after picking up an anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL) prior to her arrival at Stamford Bridge. 

While her attacking threat will be missed against Twente, Bompastor said her absence was part of the bigger picture for Chelsea.

"Catarina we are building some minutes and building on her fitness," said Bompastor.

"It’s part of the plan and her own process. We work a lot individually with every player and try to give them what they need to be fit and back to their best version.

"We just felt it was a good decision to have her staying in London and working individually with some staff. She will be ready for the game on Sunday.’

Chelsea have won four matches out of four in all competitions since Bompastor took over before the start of the season.

Travelling to play Twente, who also started their Champions League campaign with a victory earlier in the month, the Chelsea manager is targeting a continuation of their form.

She highlighted Lauren James as a potential difference maker ahead of Thursday's match, pointing out that her talents mean she can fill multiple roles in the same match.

"LJ can play in different positions. With the ball she has so much talent" Bompastor said.

She is able to play in the central corridor or in a wide position. She can also play as a false forward, so she has all the ability to play in different positions.

"In my game model I can use her in different positions, I don’t have only one position I think she can fit best.

"LJ is a player who needs to touch the ball. Sometimes she needs to drop a little bit and touch the ball to make sure she is confident in the game.

"This is something we are learning from each other, and making sure she goes in a position where she can have the most impact for the team.

"She is unbelievable when she is able to make an impact higher in the pitch, scoring, assisting, crossing as in the last game against Arsenal. This is what we want from her."

Bompastor also gave an update on long-term injury absentee Sam Kerr, who is currently recovering after a ruptured ACL in January.

"Sam is doing good," said Bompastor."Mentally she is in a good place. We see her every day, even if she’s not involved in training sessions.

"She brings some positive things to the team being around even if she’s not training collectively. She brings so much to the squad."

Jonas Eidevall failed to concede Arsenal's hopes of winning the Women's Super League title after falling to a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at the Emirates on Saturday. 

The defeat leaves Arsenal in sixth place in the early-season standings having taken just five points from their opening four games of the season. 

Mayra Ramirez and Sandy Baltimore handed the visitors a two-goal advantage early on, with Caitlin Foord's fine individual effort before half-time proving to be just a consolation. 

It brought an end to a dismal week for Eidevall, having watched his side lose their Champions League opener 5-2 to Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

"It certainly doesn't help, but as I said before, the only way is to go game by game," Eidevall said on his side's hopes of winning the title after their poor start to the campaign. 

"We are disappointed with the result and the start today, but I am very proud of the heart that the players showed."

But following Chelsea's first two goals, it was Arsenal who were in the ascendency, creating the better of the chances in north London but failing to make them count. 

The Gunners registered 20 attempts during the contest, but only four of which were on target, rarely troubling visiting goalkeeper Hannah Hampton for the most part. 

Though Arsenal find themselves already four points behind the early-season pacesetters, Eidevall still believes he is still the right man to lead the Gunners forward. 

"I gave my absolute everything. You can see that the players certainly gave everything on the pitch too, and that is the thing you can control," Eidevall said. 

"I think the way that the players played with the heart on the pitch, I can't ask for anything more," he added when asked if he had the backing of his players. 

"It showed in the way that they played that they were giving their absolute everything on the pitch."

Chelsea, meanwhile, continued their fine start under Sonia Bompastor, building on their impressive win against Real Madrid in midweek with a triumph over their fierce rivals. 

But it was anything but comfortable for the Blues, who managed an expected goals (xG) total of just 0.35 from their efforts during the second half. 

"For sure it was a tough game, we were expecting that. It's always good to win, three points are three points," Bompastor said.

"But I wish my team were able to play the ball better in the second half. The quality of the players we have, we should be able to produce more.

"Good moments, we need to enjoy them and have fun."

Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor says the Blues are focusing purely on their own form as they bid to continue their flawless start to her reign against Arsenal.

Taking over from legendary boss Emma Hayes, Bompastor has overseen back-to-back Women's Super League wins over Aston Villa (1-0) and Crystal Palace (7-0).

The Blues saw their matchday three fixture versus Manchester United postponed last week, but a victory over rivals Arsenal in Saturday's lone WSL game would take them top of the table.

Arsenal were tipped as candidates to end Chelsea's five-year reign at the summit of the English game in pre-season, only to draw two of their opening three matches, but Bompastor is not concerned with others' results.

"The players are really focused on themselves and on the team. I just want them to stay focused on the job we have to do. We prepare for every game in such a professional way," Bompastor said.

"For me, Arsenal is no different from the other teams we have been facing, so we focus on ourselves. 

"We know what we need to do tomorrow to get a good result and a great performance, that's it. This game is worth three points, the same as the other ones. 

"Of course it's a derby, a special game in that way, but it's just three points in the end. We have our ambitions, our goals, and this game will bring three points if we are able to win, that's it. I'm just focused on my team and what we need to do."

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last four home meetings with Chelsea in the WSL (two wins, two draws), but they have not won back-to-back home games against them since June 2013 (a run of three in a row).

They meet a Blues side in fine goalscoring form, winning their last five WSL games by an aggregate scoreline of 23-0 in a run dating back to Hayes' reign, though they have not won six straight league matches without conceding since April 2021.

Bompastor added: "We feel great. We had the last training session this afternoon and the weather was perfect, we really enjoyed it! The team is in a really good dynamic so we feel good.

"We played on Tuesday and we had a good result. We were able to manage the week the way we wanted to and I think we are ready for tomorrow, a big game and a derby."

Chelsea kicked off their 2024-25 Women's Champions League campaign with a 3-2 victory at home to Real Madrid in Group B.

The victory puts the Blues in second in their group after one match, while it was a perfect start for manager Sonia Bompastor, who was taking charge of her first Champions League game for the club.

Bompastor led Lyon to the Champions League final in two of the last three seasons, winning it in 2021-22. She will be hoping to do the same in west London this season and things got off to the perfect start for her and Chelsea in this game.

Sjoeke Nusken's second-minute goal put the home side ahead - unsurprisingly, that is the quickest goal in the Champions League this season.

In miserable weather at Stamford Bridge, things got even better for the hosts after they were awarded a penalty for a foul on Nusken. Guro Reiten made it 2-0 from the spot in the 28th minute, with Madrid goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez unable to get a hand to it despite diving the right way.

But Madrid were back in it 11 minutes later, with Alba Redondo finishing tidily through Zecira Musovic's legs - her second Champions League goal in as many matches.

They were unable to make the most of that lifeline, with Chelsea restoring their two-goal advantage soon after the break. Mayra Ramirez scored her first goal of the season, heading in Lauren James' cross seven minutes after the restart.

The drama was not finished though. Substitute Linda Caicedo once again cut the deficit for the visitors, making it a nervy final seven minutes for Chelsea, but the home side held on to claim a valuable three points.

Chelsea have now lost just one of their last 19 group stage matches (W13 D5) and are unbeaten across their last 13 (W10 D3); the only other team to have participated in every group stage since they were introduced in 2021 and lost just once is Barcelona (W16 D1).

Elsewhere in Group B, Celtic were beaten 2-0 by FC Twente in their opener, which marked their first-ever game in the Champions League.

Kayleigh van Dooren netted twice for the Dutch side, although the Scottish champions held out until the 44th minute before conceding.

In truth, they were second-best with the visitors dominating possession, having over 70% of the ball, and taking double the shots on target of their hosts (six to three). Twente got a second five minutes from time and go top of the group.

Sonia Bompastor was frustrated by the decision to postpone Chelsea's Women's Super League match against Manchester United due to their Champions League involvement.

Chelsea were set to face United at a sold-out Kingsmeadow on Sunday, but it was postponed with a week's notice after the European schedule was announced.

The Blues will meet Real Madrid in their Champions League group-stage opener on Tuesday, just two days after the WSL match was due to take place.

The decision prompted frustration among fans, and it was echoed by Bompaster, who believes the postponement hinders Chelsea's preparation.

"We were disappointed as players and staff. I think everyone has to understand we were supposed to play," said Bompastor in her press conference on Monday.

"We were in a very good team dynamic, and I think not having the opportunity to play changed everything in preparation for the game with Real Madrid.

"When you have the opportunity to play one game a week, with this decision being made to postpone the game, now we have been out of competition for 10 days which is completely different.

"If you look at the situation, the decision is not good. I think it is not good for all the English clubs who are in the Champions League competition."

Chelsea are one of three English teams competing in Europe's top tier this season, with Arsenal and Manchester City also qualifying for the tournament.

Bompastor has overseen a bright start at Chelsea already, winning both games in the WSL so far by an aggregate 8-0.

The Frenchwoman led Lyon to Champions League glory as their captain in 2011 and 2012, and as their head coach in 2021, a feat nobody else has achieved in the tournament's history.

And Bompastor is now keen to get underway in the competition as Chelsea's manager and expects a good show at Stamford Bridge.

"It's a really special competition, which means a lot to every player and every member of staff," Bompastor added.

"The Champions League is so competitive. You cannot underestimate any team. Real Madrid have had some changes in their squad, they've brought some new players, and they are different from last season.

"For me and the staff who have come in, it's the first time we are going to face Real Madrid. I know they are one of the most competitive teams in the Spanish league, and how many talented players they have in the squad.

"They love to possess the ball. It will be a tough game, and we are ready for that. For the fans in the stadium and watching on TV, it will be a great game."

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor was in a reflective mood after their 7-0 victory at Crystal Palace ensured they continued their perfect start to the Women's Super League.

The former Champions League winner joined the club in May after leading Lyon to a third successive French title, and has won her first two matches in the English top-flight. 

Understandably, having never played or managed in England before taking the job at Chelsea, Bompastor spent a lot of time learning about the league before the move.

"I feel wiser," she told Sky Sports after the match.

"Coming to this league, I've spent a lot of time studying the teams, the managers and the way they play.

"I want a lot of information, the most possible. This league is so competitive and if you don't perform you drop points, so you have to prepare properly."

On the performance itself, the Chelsea manager was delighted to keep their 100% record going in such a dominant fashion, but insists there is still more to come from her side.

"It was a great win, three more points and a good performance, even if the first half was a difficult game," she told BBC Sport.

"It is a work in progress. We still have room for improvements for sure, in possession and out of possession.

"We are only at the beginning of the season, it's only the second game. At the high level, it is about getting results, [but] it still takes time to get the right chemistry.

"I think we are getting there, but there is still a lot of work to be done."

New signing Lucy Bronze scored Chelsea's second of the match shortly after half-time and, alongside Johanna Rytting Kaneryd - who scored in the opening match of the season - has impressed down the right-hand side.

The level of understanding they have developed in a short space of time is something that the manager hopes will start to flourish throughout the squad.

"For sure, coming from pre-season and in the last two games, they have a lot of chemistry," she said.

"It's always good for them to know each other and to get used to each other. They understand the way they want to play together and that is good for us.

"We have different options, but this one is a good one."