Domestic action returns this weekend as we get to the tail end of The Women’s FA Cup and the quarter final stage. The tastiest of the quarter finals sees one-time winners Chelsea taking on a Liverpool team who have never won the trophy but have been unlucky finalists on three occasions.
The Blues remain unbeaten league leaders after they played an enthralling game against their title challengers before the international break. Chelsea led the game 2-0 going into the second half but were pegged back by a determined Manchester City team. Before that draw, Chelsea had gone six games without conceding while winning five of those games. Included in that unbeaten streak were two FA Cup rounds were both managed convincingly. Firstly, they dispatched of London Bees 10-0 away from home before dominating the WSL 2 leaders Doncaster Belles 6-0. Liverpool will have to put in a dilligent performance to stop Chelsea dishing another result like this.
4th placed Liverpool come into this game in inconsistent form having won three and lost twice in their last five league games. Those two losses came against Manchester City and their rivals for third place Arsenal who inflicted on them a 3-0 loss while also moving above them into the third position in the league. Their route to the quarter finals saw the Merseyside club take on Watford in the fourth round, beating them 5-0 and then going on to Chichester City in the fifth round who they beat 3-0.
Liverpool will look to use the home support to their advantage in a one-off game in which anything can happen. Chelsea will know however that have already beaten Liverpool twice so far this season, albeit with both matches being at Kingsmeadow. In their first encounter in the league, it was a tight affair with Liverpool putting in an incredible defensive performance. Unfortunately for them, Maren Mjelde was able to make a breakthrough and clinch the three points for Chelsea.
The second meeting between the two just before Christmas was a much more comfortable affair for the Blues as they ran out 5-1 winners in the quarter finals of the Continental Cup. Fran Kirby grabbed herself a hattrick in that game and Chelsea’s top scorer will be hoping to add a few more goals to help Chelsea prevail again. Liverpool have their own sharpshooter in Beth England who has scored 11 goals in just 13 games.
Liverpool Player to Watch: Beth England
Chelsea Player to Watch: Fran Kirby