Chelsea Football Club Women are another powerhouse of the English game. Based in Norbiton, Kingston upon Thames, Chelsea ladies are one of the founding members and current reigning champions of the Women’s Super League. In this article, we will cover all aspects of this extraordinary club, from their formation and footballing achievements to the current squad and stand-out players.11

History of Chelsea Ladies

Women’s football at Chelsea dates as far back as the early 20th Century. In the 1920s, Stamford Bridge (Chelsea men’s home ground) played host to various matches, although a team did not represent the club. Due heavy bans on women’s football in England at the time, it wasn’t until the early 1970s that a Chelsea side played without restrictions. In 1992, Chelsea F.C Women were officially formed and have forged close ties with Chelsea F.C (the main club) since 2004.1,2,11

During the 2004-2005 season, The blues gained promotion from the Women’s National League Southern Division and has been playing in the top flight ever since. Things didn’t go as planned for the team, as their first campaign in the top league (The Premier League National Division at the time) resulted in a bottom-place finish. They narrowly escaped relegation that season after winning a playoff against Liverpool 4-1 on aggregate to stay in the division.11

Success in Domestic Competitions

Despite an early blip, Chelsea ladies kicked on after the inception of the Women’s Super League in 2011. The club has accumulated 5 top-flight domestic titles and 4 FA cups, with a host of other trophies along the way. Their most fruitful period came between 2019 and 2022, where they claimed 3 WSL titles on the bounce, including a treble in the 2020-2021 season.11

The table below highlights some of Chelsea FC Women’s team’s major domestic titles and cup wins. For your reference, we have only included data for top flight titles, FA cup and League Cup wins.

Chelsea Ladies Title and Cup Wins in Domestic Competitions11 (Data taken 29.09.2022)
Title Total Wins Years
Women’s Super League 5 2015, 2017–18, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
Women’s FA Cup 4 2014–15, 2017–18, 2020–21, 2021–22
Women’s League Cup 2 2019–20, 2020–21

European Competitions

Unfortunately for Chelsea, European success has not been a fruitful exercise. The Blues have never won a continental title thus far but have been knocking on the door in recent years. Having reached the semi-finals in the UEFA Women’s Champions League in 2017-18 and 2018-19 and a humbling defeat to Barcelona in the final in 2021, they are a strong outfit on the continent, and all the best football betting sites regularly tip them as front-runners for the competition.2,11

Chelsea FC Women’s Squad: 2022-23 Season

In this section, we will break down the current squad for the 2022-23 season. Be aware that squads tend to change throughout the season, so checking the Chelsea FC Women’s homepage for the latest news and updates is always recommended. In the table below, we have listed all players in the Chelsea ladies team by position:

Chelsea FC Women’s Squad for the 2022-2023 Season3 (Data taken 29.09.2022)
Position Players
Goalkeepers Zecira Musovic, Ann-Katrin Berger, Emily Orman
Defenders Aniek Nouwen, Millie Bright, Jess Carter, Eve Perisset, Magdalena Eriksson, Maren Mjelde, Niamh Charles, Kadeisha Buchanan, Alsu Abdullina
Midfielders Sophie Ingle, Melanie Leupolz, Guro Reiten, Katerina Svitkova, Jessie Fleming, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Erin Cuthbert, Pernille Harder, Jelena Cankovic, Charlotte Wardlaw
Forwards Bethany England, Lauren James, Fran Kirby, Sam Kerr

Manager and Notable Players

Like most top ladies football clubs, Chelsea FC Women have a squad with talent in abundance. In this section, we will give you a little insight into the players that we predict will make an impact this season.

Magdalena Eriksson

  • Position: Defender
  • Born: 29th September 1997
  • Nationality: Swedish

Captain fantastic: Magdalena Eriksson is the heartbeat of the Chelsea ladies football team. Her performances in a blues shirt have contributed to a solid defensive record, allowing the team to compete at the very top of the table. Admired throughout Europe, some see Eriksson as one of the best defenders on the continent because of her combative qualities and never-say-die attitude. The perfect leader to have in your dressing room!4,10

Pernille Harder

  • Position: Midfielder
  • Born: 15th November 1992
  • Nationality: Danish

Chelsea clearly feels that Scandinavia is a hotbed for talent after picking up another gem of a player in Pernille Harder. This tenacious attacking-minded midfielder has god-like dribbling abilities, as well as pace and technique to boot. Combine all these skills and you have a special player, and that’s exactly what she is!6

Sam Kerr

  • Position: Forward
  • Born: 10th September 1993
  • Nationality: Australian

Probably one of the most revered players on the planet, Sam Kerr is a genuine goal machine. Kerr scores whenever she plays, and last season, won the WSL’s golden boot by a fair distance. It is expected that the Aussie superstar will lead the line for her country when they host the Women’s World Cup this year.5

Emma Hayes – Manager

  • Games Managed: 270*
  • Games Won: 189*
  • Born: 18th October 1976

*Data taken as of 30.11.202212

Emma Hayes OBE has been in charge of the blues since 2012. She began coaching way back in 2001 as manager of the North American side Long Island Lady Riders (now known as Long Island Rough Riders). She had stints in various roles at Chicago Red Stars, Arsenal W.F.C and Western New York Flash before switching to Chelsea. After guiding the team to their third title in a row, she has become one of the top coaches in the WSL, with an extraordinary win percentage.7

Where Do the Team Play?

In this section, we discuss the facilities that Chelsea women’s football team play and train in during the regular season.

Kingsmeadow

Chelsea ladies play their home games at the Kingsmeadow stadium in London. They began playing there in 2017 and also share the stadium with one of the Chelsea youth teams. It has a capacity of close to 5000. On some occasions, the women have played a football match at Stamford Bridge: Chelsea F.C.’s home ground.8

Cobham Training Centre

The Chelsea women’s football team train at the Cobham Training Centre, near the village of (you guessed it) Cobham. At a huge cost, the training facilities were built and opened in 2007 and contain 30 football pitches and various training and recovery rooms. The perfect environment for a top-class Super League side!9

FAQs – All the Important Questions, Answered!

Do you still have questions that you are unsure of on this page? Below, we have collected some commonly asked questions about Chelsea FC Women and other relevant topics

Who is Chelsea's Best Female Player?

Based on awards won, Sam Kerr is currently Chelsea's best player. Having won various accolades such as WSL Player of the Year last season, she is at the top of a spectacular list of talents on Chelsea's books.5

Where Does the Chelsea Ladies' Team Play?

Chelsea FC women play their games at the Kingsmeadow stadium. In 2017, Chelsea bought the stadium so that the women and the youth team could play their matches here.8

Where do Chelsea Ladies train?

Chelsea Women train at the Cobham Training Centre. The complex has an abundance of resources to get the best out of the club's players, which include various training pitches, gyms, recovery rooms and more.9

Sources

  1. Chelsea Football Club. (n.d). About Chelsea FC Women. Accessed on September 29, 2022 from https://www.chelseafc.com/en/about-chelsea-fc-women
  2. Chelsea Football Club. (n.d). The History of Chelsea Women. Accessed on September 29, 2022 from https://www.chelseafc.com/en/the-history-of-chelsea-women
  3. Chelsea Football Club. (n.d). Chelsea Women Senior Squad. Accessed on September 29, 2022 from https://www.chelseafc.com/en/teams/chelsea-women
  4. Chelsea Football Club. (n.d). Magdalena Eriksson. Accessed on September 29, 2022 from https://www.chelseafc.com/en/teams/profile/magdalena-eriksson
  5. Chelsea Football Club. (n.d). Sam Kerr. Accessed on September 29, 2022 from https://www.chelseafc.com/en/teams/profile/sam-kerr
  6. Chelsea Football Club. (n.d). Pernille Harder. Accessed on September 29, 2022 from https://www.chelseafc.com/en/teams/profile/pernille-harder
  7. Emma Hayes (2022, September 28). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Emma_Hayes&oldid=1112839709
  8. Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames (2022, July 4). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kingsmeadow,_Kingston_upon_Thames&oldid=1096409397
  9. Cobham Training Centre (2022, April 22). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cobham_Training_Centre&oldid=1084152536
  10. Magdalena Eriksson (2022, September 28). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Magdalena_Eriksson&oldid=1112921993
  11. Chelsea F.C. Women (2022, September 13). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chelsea_F.C._Women&oldid=1110112374
  12. FootyStats. (n.d). Emma Hayes Manager Stats. Accessed on November 30, 2022 from https://footystats.org/managers/england/emma-hayes