Over the last 12 months, Manchester City’s figures have been so impressive that they are nearly absurd. They have played 23 Women’s Super League games since mid-November 2023, winning 21 of them, losing one, and drawing one, both against Arsenal. According to statistics, Gareth Taylor’s team has been the best in England in 2024, winning titles for a year. However, they are not the champions, have not been for eight long years, and will not be unless they manage to ultimately overthrow Chelsea, which seems to be an indestructible item.

Unbelievably for a team that has won the last five WSL titles, Chelsea has had their best start to the season, which bodes ill for City. Chelsea had never won their first six league games before, but since taking over from Emma Hayes, Sonia Bompastor has done just that. The squad that consistently ends the season with the best record has gotten off to a perfect start. With 3.8 goals per game compared to Manchester City’s 2.2, they lead the division in scoring and have won all nine of Bompastor’s games across all competitions.

Therefore, the matchup between second-place Chelsea, who have a game in hand, and the undefeated leaders City, who have played seven games, won six, and drawn one, at Stamford Bridge on Saturday could offer the kind of unmissable, box office drama that WSL fans are craving.

The ultimate declaration of purpose for City would be to defeat Chelsea away from home after they justifiably defeated the European champions, Barcelona, in October, which made everyone of European women’s football pay note. Would it?

Ironically, even though City defeated Chelsea last season, the champions were still able to win on goal differential on the last day. Despite winning four points in the head-to-head matches last season, Taylor’s team was not good enough. Phrases like “title decider” might be best avoided. Maybe these games aren’t as significant as we like to think. In May, the outcome from Saturday could not mean much. Alternatively, it might mean everything.

Several of the top athletes in the world will be thrown into the same field for ninety minutes of top-tier competition. At one end is Colombian attacker Mayra Ramírez, who has nine goal involvements in her first 12 WSL outings; at the other end is Jamaican striker Khadija Shaw, who has more hat-tricks than any other player in WSL history after scoring her sixth last week. Additionally, there are head-to-head matches that supporters eagerly await, like the matchup between City left-winger Lauren Hemp, who leads the WSL with an incredible 26 chances created this season, and her England teammate Lucy Bronze on that flank.

Of huge concern for City fans is that Hemp is a doubt. Taylor stated on Thursday that he would not be able to determine Hemp’s fitness until Friday due to a “niggle in her knee.” He stated: “We’ll see with the medical staff, but there’s a chance she’ll train and play over the weekend, which is good.” “They’re progressing a lot quicker than we anticipated so there’s an outside chance,” Taylor added in reference to his defenders Laia Aleixandri and Naomi Layzell.

Whoever starts for City will attempt to prevent Chelsea from winning, something no English team has accomplished at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea has scored 17 goals in all six of its WSL games played there. As they attempt to become the third WSL side to win their first seven games of the season, their confidence and increasing familiarity with Stamford Bridge may be crucial. This is arguably the most difficult league match they have played on this field.