Chelsea begin their bid for a seventh successive WSL title as they play host to hopeful challengers Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.
Sonia Bompastor managed to guide the Blues to a coveted invincible crown in her debut season in England last term, maintaining Chelsea’s imperious status that was left by Emma Hayes.
Chelsea begin the season with a handful of injury problems, with Lauren James, Lucy Bronze and Mayra Ramirez all out, but welcome the long-awaited return of Sam Kerr, who has been out since tearing her ACL in January 2024 and starts on the bench tonight.
Man City, meanwhile, endured an underwhelming season as they missed out on Champions League qualification, sacking manager Gareth Taylor in the midst of their struggles.
Follow all the action from Stamford Bridge below:
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Chelsea vs Man City LIVE
- Chelsea begin their bid for a seventh successive WSL title against Man City | Kick-off at 7:30pm BST, live on Sky Sports
- Sonia Bompastor led the Blues to an invincible season in her first year in England last term
- Sam Kerr returns to the squad after nearly two years out
- Man City begin a new era under ex-Denmark boss Andree Jeglertz
- Chelsea XI: Hampton; Carpenter, Bright, Bjorn, Charles; Walsh, Cuthbert; Kaptein, Hamano, Baltimore; Beever-Jones
- Man City XI: Yamashita; Rose, Prior, Greenwood; Casparij, Hasegawa, Lohmann, Murphy; Hemp, Miedema, Shaw
Who is new Man City manager Andree Jeglertz?
19:15
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Will Castle
Former Malmo defender Andree Jeglertz has replaced Gareth Taylor in the Man City dugout this summer and has an extensive CV.
He won the UEFA Women's Cup - later the Champions League - with Swedish side Umea in 2004 and led them to successive finals in 2007 and 2008.
After a spell in men's football with Djurgardens in 2009, Jeglertz spent six years in charge of Finland Women until 2016 before a brief return to Umea was followed by a two-year stint in charge of Linkopings.
He was appointed Denmark's head coach after the 2023 World Cup and led them to this summer's Euros after they finished second behind world champions Spain in qualifying.
Serena Williams involvement ‘a win for women’s football’, says Catarina Macario
19:05
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Will Castle
Chelsea forward Catarina Macario feels Serena Williams’ new affiliation with her side perfectly encapsulates the upward trajectory of women’s football.
In May, 23-time grand slam singles winner Williams’ husband, Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, announced he had purchased a reported eight to 10 per cent stake, worth around £20million, in the six-time reigning Women’s Super League champions.
The couple flew over for the FA Cup final four days later at Wembley – where Macario scored in the 3-0 victory over Manchester United – on a weekend Ohanian predicted his new investment could become a billion-dollar operation.
Chelsea and Man City among clubs to trial alcohol in stands
18:55
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Will Castle
Alcohol will be permitted in the stands at seven Women's Super League clubs from the 2025-26 season as part of a trial, marking a significant departure from the decades-long ban imposed on men's games to curb hooliganism.
For the upcoming season, fans attending matches at Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, London City Lionesses, Manchester City, and Manchester United stadiums will be able to consume alcohol.
This follows a successful trial last year across 19 fixtures involving four second-tier WSL2 clubs and 51,000 supporters.
So, if you’re heading to Stamford Bridge this evening, don’t feel the need to down your pints in the concourse!
Can Man City cause an upset?
18:50
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Will Castle
London City Lionesses sign Grace Geyoro for world record fee
18:45
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Will Castle
Whatever happens at Stamford Bridge, the story of the day won’t involve the reigning WSL champions.
That’s because league newcomers London City Lionesses have broken the women’s football transfer record by signing Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Grace Geyoro for £1.4m.
The newly-promoted side have embarked on a major spending spree, signing 16 players permanently this summer as they aim to consolidate their place in the top flight.
The stage is set
18:41
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Will Castle
Stamford Bridge awaits the start of the new WSL season.
Sam Kerr is BACK!
18:40
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Will Castle
After 20 months on the sidelines, Chelsea’s world-beating striker Sam Kerr has made her return to the squad.
The Australian suffered an ACL injury at the start of 2024, meaning she was absent for the entirety of their invincible season.
This Chelsea team was already strong enough...
Team news!
18:34
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Will Castle
Chelsea XI: Hampton; Carpenter, Bright, Bjorn, Charles; Walsh, Cuthbert; Kaptein, Hamano, Baltimore; Beever-Jones.
Man City XI: Yamashita; Rose, Prior, Greenwood; Casparij, Hasegawa, Lohmann, Murphy; Hemp, Miedema, Shaw.
Our first starting XI of the season! ✊#CFCW pic.twitter.com/EhUo7bcB4a
— (C)helsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) September 5, 2025
Your first City line-up of the season!
— Manchester City Women (@ManCityWomen) September 5, 2025
XI | Yamashita, Rose, Greenwood (C), Shaw, Miedema, Hemp, Casparij, Lohmann, Hasegawa, Prior, Murphy
SUBS | Keating, Layzell, Coombs, Wienroither, Ouahabi, Blindkilde Brown, Beney, Thomas, Lewis
@etihad pic.twitter.com/bcH5e2aBUh
WSL and WSL2 to introduce minimum salaries from this season
18:27
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Flo Clifford
The top two tiers of professional women’s football will introduce minimum salaries for the first time from this season.
WSL Football, the company which operates professional women’s football in England, has introduced the regulations for the WSL and WSL2 as part of a sweeping series of reforms.
The minimum salary will vary based on different criteria including the age of players, what league they play in, and their level of experience, and figures have not been announced, but BBC Sport reports it will be a full-time wage.
The champs are here
18:19
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Will Castle
What happened last season?
18:15
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Will Castle
If you’re new to the WSL, here’s the 2024/25 domestic season in two words: Chelsea win.
The Blues swept aside every English club to win the WSL - going invincible to top the table for a SEVENTH successive season - as well as the Women's FA Cup and Women's League Cup.
As seven consecutive titles would indicate, Chelsea have been at the top for a while. Man City may hope to knock them off their perch, but they’ll need to vastly improve on last term, which saw them miss out on Champions League qualification and sack manager Gareth Taylor.
Beyond tonight’s two competitors, Arsenal found major success on the continent - winning the Women’s Champions League - while Crystal Palace went straight back down after coming up the previous year. London City Lionesses, who just broke the world transfer record, replace them in the division this term.
Odds
18:02
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Will Castle
Chelsea win 2/3
Draw 3/1
Man City win 15/4
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Predicted line-ups
17:50
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Will Castle
Chelsea XI: Hampton; Carpenter, Bright, Girma, Baltimore; Walsh, Cuthbert; Rytting Kaneryd, Nusken, Beever-Jones; Macario.
Man City XI: Keating; Rose, Prior, Greenwood; Casparij, Hasegawa, Lohmann, Beney; Kerolin, Miedema, Shaw.
Man City team news
17:37
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Will Castle
Man City also go into the season with a handful of absences, with Rebecca Knaak ruled out with a meniscus tear. Bunny Shaw looks set to make her long-awaited comeback, though.
Jeglertz could also field the club’s new arrivals, among which Grace Clinton - who swapped Manchester United for City in a shock move.
Chelsea team news
17:25
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Will Castle
Chelsea sharpshooter Mayra Ramirez faces a lengthy layoff as she recuperates from hamstring surgery, while Lauren James and Lucy Bronze are still out.
All eyes, however, will be on Sam Kerr after Bompastor confirmed she will be included in her squad for the game after almost two years out.
The Blues could also showcase their new signings, with the likes of Mara Alber, Livia Peng and Ellie Carpenter coming through the door.
When is Chelsea vs Man City?
17:12
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Will Castle
Chelsea’s WSL clash against Man City kicks off at 7:30pm BST on Friday 5 September at Stamford Bridge in London.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the UK can watch the game live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football, with coverage starting at 6:30pm BST.
Chelsea vs Man City LIVE
17:00
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Will Castle
Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the WSL opener between Chelsea and Manchester City!
Chelsea begin their bid for a seventh successive title after Sonia Bompastor managed to guide the Blues to a coveted invincible crown in her debut season last term.
Man City, meanwhile, begin a new era under Andree Jeglertz after an underwhelming 2024/25, which saw them miss out on Champions League qualification.
