Chelsea host Aston Villa in the opening match of the Women’s Super League season at Kingsmeadow to mark the start of a new era for the Blues under Sonia Bompastor.
The Blues won the WSL for a fifth consecutive season last campaign under the departing Emma Hayes and Bompastor has big shoes to fill after arriving from Lyon for a new era in the women’s game. The Chelsea squad has also seen several changes, with England international Lucy Bronze the pick of the new signings.
A season of possible transition under Bompastor means Chelsea are likely to face increased competition for the title from Manchester City and Arsenal – who meet at the Emirates on Sunday – so a winning start is vital in a WSL where there is usually little margin for error over the campaign. Villa finished seventh in the WSL last season and have a new manager of their own, with Dutchman Robert de Pauw replacing Carla Ward. The visitors are led by former Lionesses striker Rachel Daly.
The match is live on BBC Two, and you can follow all the latest updates in the live blog below.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa – WSL live
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New 24/25 WSL season starts with champions under new boss Sonia Bompastor
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36’ GOAL! Kaneryd curls in stunning strike for opener (CHE 1-0 VIL)
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Chelsea XI: Hampton; Bronze, Bright, Buchanan, Lawrence; Cuthbert, Nusken; Reiten, Baltimore, Kaneryd; Ramirez
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Aston Villa XI: D’Angelo; Maritz, Patten, Parker, Tomas; Nobbs, Staniforth, Grant; Kearns, Dali; Daly
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Lucy Bronze makes Chelsea debut as Bompastor takes charge of first game
Chelsea FC Women 1 – 0 Aston Villa WFC
HALF TIME! Chelsea 1-0 Aston Villa
19:47 , Jamie Braidwood
Aston Villa made a very good account of themselves in that half, but Chelsea had the better share of the chances and lead thanks to that stunning strike from Rytting Kaneryd.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:47
First Half ends, Chelsea Women 1, Aston Villa Women 0.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:47
Attempt missed. Millie Bright (Chelsea Women) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Sjoeke Nüsken with a cross following a set piece situation.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:47
Fourth official has announced 1 minutes of added time.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:47
Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea Women) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:47
Attempt blocked. Mayra Ramírez (Chelsea Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Lucy Bronze.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:42
Foul by Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea Women).
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:41
Attempt saved. Sjoeke Nüsken (Chelsea Women) right footed shot from long range on the right is saved in the centre of the goal.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Aston Villa
19:36 , Jamie Braidwood
36 mins: The first goal of the WSL season – and it’s a stunner from Johanna Rytting Kaneryd!
What a hit from the winger – she cut inside onto her left foot and bent a brilliant curling effort inside the far corner.
The Sonia Bompastor era is underway – and in some style.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:37
Goal! Chelsea Women 1, Aston Villa Women 0. Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Chelsea Women) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Mayra Ramírez.
Chelsea 0-0 Aston Villa
19:30 , Jamie Braidwood
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:32
Attempt saved. Jordan Nobbs (Aston Villa Women) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Chasity Grant.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:30
Offside, Aston Villa Women. Rachel Daly is caught offside.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:29
Corner, Chelsea Women. Conceded by Lucy Parker.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:25
Corner, Aston Villa Women. Conceded by Kadeisha Buchanan.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:22
Foul by Lucy Bronze (Chelsea Women).
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:20
Offside, Aston Villa Women. Kenza Dali is caught offside.
Chelsea 0-0 Aston Villa
19:18 , Jamie Braidwood
17 mins: Chelsea are racking up the chances. First Lucy Bronze had a header straight at Sabrina D’Angelo from a Reiten cross, then Reiten turned wide on the volley.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:18
Attempt missed. Guro Reiten (Chelsea Women) left footed shot from the centre of the box.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:18
Attempt saved. Lucy Bronze (Chelsea Women) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Guro Reiten with a cross.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:18
Corner, Chelsea Women. Conceded by Jordan Nobbs.
Chelsea 0-0 Aston Villa
19:14 , Jamie Braidwood
12 mins: What a miss! Villa should be ahead. Chelsea fail to clear the cross from the left. It falls to Chasity Grant at the back post. She fires it across but Missy Bo Kearns turns it over the bar from about a yard.
Nusken just managed to put her off.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:14
Attempt missed. Missy Kearns (Aston Villa Women) right footed shot from very close range is too high. Assisted by Chasity Grant.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:13
Attempt missed. Chasity Grant (Aston Villa Women) right footed shot from the right side of the box.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:32
Attempt missed. Paula Tomás (Aston Villa Women) right footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Kenza Dali.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:12
Corner, Aston Villa Women. Conceded by Lucy Bronze.
Chelsea 0-0 Aston Villa
19:09 , Jamie Braidwood
9 mins: WIDE! Another sight of goal for Reiten. Villa concede possession and Ramirez plays her through. Reiten turns but drags the shot wide.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:10
Attempt missed. Guro Reiten (Chelsea Women) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Mayra Ramírez.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:07
Corner, Aston Villa Women. Conceded by Johanna Rytting Kaneryd.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:28
Attempt blocked. Paula Tomás (Aston Villa Women) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the left is blocked.
Chelsea 0-0 Aston Villa
19:05 , Jamie Braidwood
5 mins: Another chance for the champions: Reiten’s free-kick is clever and picks out Nusken at the back. The German looks to knock is back across to Bright, but it’s just out of reach and drops wide.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:06
Lucy Staniforth (Aston Villa Women) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:06
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Chelsea Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:04
Offside, Chelsea Women. Guro Reiten is caught offside.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:04
Corner, Chelsea Women. Conceded by Lucy Parker.
Chelsea 0-0 Aston Villa
19:02 , Jamie Braidwood
2 mins: An early chance for Chelsea! After Millie Bright wins the ball inside the Villa half, the ball drops to Guro Reiten on her left foot, but the volley is dragged wide.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:03
Attempt missed. Guro Reiten (Chelsea Women) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Millie Bright with a headed pass.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
19:02
First Half begins.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
18:54 , Jamie Braidwood
New faces in the dugouts and on the pitch. The start of the 2024/25 Women’s Super League season is moments away.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
18:45 , Jamie Braidwood
Chelsea have a 100 per cent record against Aston Villa since they were promoted to the WSL, winning all eight games against tonight’s opponents over the past four seasons.
Why a ban on autographs also reflects the changing face of the WSL
18:30 , Karl Matchett
On the opening night of the Women’s Super League season, a new era will begin with the end of a custom that for so long was seen as one of the many attractions of the women’s game.
Through its formative years and into the professional era, it was seen as a selling point of the WSL that matchgoing supporters felt as if they had a “closer” relationship with the players than in the men’s game, which seemed to be heading in the other directions as the rise of transfer fees and salaries further added to the sense of detachment between the pitch and the stands.
Women’s football felt more open: even the biggest names in the league, like the England internationals, seemed more authentic, as evidenced by the regular sight of playing giving time back to their supporters at the end of matches, acknowledging their presence by stopping to take pictures by the side of the pitch and signing autographs.
It is a practice that will continue at some of this weekend’s games – but not at Chelsea. The champions announced in a notice to supporters last month it was no longer “safe or sustainable” for players to sign autographs or take selfies with fans “in an uncontrolled way” after matches at Kingsmeadow. Instead, the club said that they would hold “organised opportunities” away from match day.
Of course, such a move reflects positive change, that the WSL and women’s football at the top level in England is growing to the point that players can no longer accommodate the requests of every fan at full time. Rising attendances render it impossible anyway, particularly when games are played at the club’s main stadium: Arsenal, for example, have largely left those days behind them as a virtue of committing to playing at least 11 matches at the Emirates this season. And their average attendance last season was over 35,000 – above that of half the Premier League.
Jamie Braidwood’s big WSL preview:
Why a ban on autographs also reflects the changing face of the WSL
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
18:30
Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
Lucy Bronze reveals Champions League ‘dream’ after returning to WSL with Chelsea
18:15 , Jamie Braidwood
Lucy Bronze aims to complete her “dream” by winning the Champions League with an English side following her move to Chelsea earlier this summer.
The 32-year-old returned to Women’s Super League with five-time reigning champions Chelsea following two trophy-laden years with Barcelona to try and take the London club to their first Champions League.
The England international has won the top European trophy five times throughout her illustrious career, three with Lyon before going on to win it in both seasons during her time in Spain, but is still looking to add to her tally.
Lucy Bronze reveals Champions League ‘dream’ after returning to WSL with Chelsea
Chelsea vs Aston Villa: Team news!
18:08 , Jamie Braidwood
Lucy Bronze and Sandy Baltimore make their full debuts for Chelsea in the first WSL line-up named by Sonia Bompastor. Erin Cuthbert is fit to start in midfield while Lauren James is on the bench for the home side.
For Aston Villa, Missy Bo Kearns starts following her move for Liverpool in the summer while Sabrina D’Angelo makes her first start in the WSL for the club. Rachel Daly leads the line and Jordan Nobbs, a former fan favourite of rivals Arsenal, starts too.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa: Team news!
18:02 , Jamie Braidwood
Chelsea XI: Hampton; Bronze, Bright, Buchanan, Lawrence; Cuthbert, Nusken; Reiten, Baltimore, Kaneryd; Ramirez
Aston Villa XI: D’Angelo; Maritz, Patten, Parker, Tomas; Nobbs, Staniforth, Grant; Kearns, Dali; Daly
Vivianne Miedema, Lucy Bronze and five new WSL signings to watch this season
17:50 , Karl Matchett
The new Women’s Super League season gets under way after a summer transfer window that featured a number of eye-catching moves.
Here, we highlight five players to look out for in the campaign ahead, all of whom are starting life with new employers.
Vivianne Miedema, Lucy Bronze and the new WSL signings to watch this season
Chelsea v Aston Villa – live
17:45 , Karl Matchett
Chelsea all set to host the opening game of the WSL season against Aston Villa – team news on the way soon.
WSL key talking points
17:40 , Karl Matchett
The Women’s Super League returns with the 2024-25 season’s first round of fixtures being kicked off by champions Chelsea hosting Aston Villa tonight – here, we look at some of the talking points heading into the opening matches.
Emma Hayes’ Chelsea successor and major talking points for new WSL season
Is Chelsea v Aston Villa on TV tonight? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch WSL fixture
17:33 , Karl Matchett
Chelsea face Aston Villa at Kingsmeadow on Friday night as the reigning champions kick-start the 2024/25 season in the Women’s Super League.
The game will mark the first competitive match in charge for new Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor, who reached the Women’s Champions League final with Lyon last season. She replaces Emma Hayes on the back of yet another title-winning campaign.
And last year’s champions will look to get off to the best possible start as they try to fend off what will likely be a strong challenge from fellow hopefuls Arsenal and Manchester City, who lost out on the title on goal difference last season and have signed ex-Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema to strengthen their attack.
Meanwhile Villa will look to make a strong start to the season after a seventh-placed finish in 2023/24.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.
Is Chelsea v Aston Villa on TV tonight? Kick-off time and how to watch WSL fixture
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
17:00
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