Chelsea and Manchester City’s WSL clash could spark blockbuster rivalry

Sonia Bompastor has made the perfect start in London but Gareth Taylor’s City have just beaten Barcelona and sit top

Manchester City’s numbers over the past 12 months are so strong they are almost ridiculous. Since mid-November 2023 they have played 23 Women’s Super League games and won 21, losing once and drawing once, both against Arsenal. Statistically, Gareth Taylor’s side have been England’s best team in 2024, displaying title-winning form for a year. And yet they are not the champions, have not been the champions for eight long years and they will not become the champions unless they can somehow find a way to finally topple the seemingly immovable object that is Chelsea.

Ominously for City, Chelsea have made their strongest start to a season, unlikely as that may sound for a team who have won the past five WSL titles. Never before had Chelsea won their first six league games but that is what Sonia Bompastor has done since succeeding Emma Hayes. The team that always seem to finish seasons the strongest have made a flawless start. They are the division’s topscorers by a huge margin, with 3.8 goals a game to Manchester City’s 2.2, and have won all nine of Bompastor’s matches in all competitions.