Key events
20 min: Emma Hayes looks furious on the touchline. Chelsea have let Leicester back in the game after a bright start.
16 minute: Another chance for Leicester. Rantala breaks away on the right hand side and drives her strike towards Hampton’s right. It’s a strong save by the England keeper but the ball falls to Leicester’s Yuka Momiki. The Japanese midfielder places her effort in the bottom right hand corner of the goal but it’s tipped round the post by Hampton.
16 min: Leicester are starting to grow into the game after a nervy few minutes.
11 min: This game has started at 100mph. Now it’s Leicester’s turn to attack. Jutta Rantala powers her way through a number of Chelsea challenges to fire a strike at Hannah Hampton. It looks like we have a contest on our hands.
7 min: Chelsea win another corner. The ball is swung in from the right and lands right on Jelena Čanković’s head. It’s headed off the line by the Leicester defender on the line.
6 min: Niamh Charles threads a beautiful ball into Johanna Rytting Kaneryd onto the right hand side. Kaneryd has plenty of time but rushes her cross into the box. It’s out for a corner.
4 min: Chelsea have started this game on the front foot. They look like a side with something to prove after the Manchester City defeat.
1 min: Chelsea almost score immediately. The ball is whipped in from the right to Guro Reiten. The Norwegian is unable to cleanly connect with the delivery and it’s out for a corner.
1 min: Chelsea kick off, playing the ball from right to left.
Kirk makes one change from the side who beat Bristol City in February. Courtney Nevin replaces Shannon O’Brien at the back. O’Brien is injured after the international break with England U23.
Emma Hayes makes four changes from the side who lost to Manchester City. Most notably, Lauren James is not available today because she has picked up five yellow cards this season. In more positive news for Chelsea, Catarina Macario will make her Chelsea debut after returning from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The teams
Leicester City: Kop, Nevin, Tierney, Bott, Rantala, Whelan, Cayman, Green, Takarada, Thibaud, Momiki
Subs: Dowsett, Ale, Howard, Palmer, Pelgander, Baker, Siemsen, Petermann, Draper
Chelsea: Hampton, Périsset, Björn, Carter, Charles, Nüsken, Cuthbert, Čanković, Reiten, Kaneryd, Ramírez
Subs: Mušović, Ingle, Leupolz, Macario, Kirby, Hamano, Berger, Beever-Jones
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Leicester City v Chelsea in the Women’s Super League. If the last few meetings between these teams are anything to go by, you’re in for a treat. If you’re a Chelsea fan that is.
Chelsea beat Leicester 5-2 in this season’s reverse fixture and the Blues have recorded a 30-2 aggregate score in their last five league meetings against Leicester, including 8-0 and 9-0 wins in 2022. Emma Hayes’ side will be aiming for a similarly triumphant victory tonight to keep the pressure on Manchester City at the top of the table.
Leicester will be hoping tonight’s result bucks the trend however. Willie Kirk’s team will hope to build on their 5-2 victory over Bristol City before the international break. Three points against Chelsea would see Leicester leapfrog Tottenham and advance to sixth place.
A Chelsea win is the sensible prediction but they did lose their last game to Manchester City. Chelsea haven’t quite found their rhythm of late so it’s all to play for in this clash. Keep refreshing the page for updates.
Kick off 6:00pm.
