West Ham United Women return to Barclays FA Women’s Super League action this week as Chelsea visit Dagenham & Redbridge Stadium for a must-see London derby!
Any fixture against Emma Hayes' Blues is always a tricky test, but Olli Harder and his Hammers will be hopeful of a big performance and three points under the lights on Thursday evening.
Read on for everything you need to know about this week’s league fixture!
How to watch
Tickets are still available for this Thursday’s Barclays FA WSL match between the Irons and Chelsea.
Junior tickets for this London derby start from just £5, while adult admittance is available from just £12!
Alternatively, if you are unable to join us live in Dagenham, Thursday’s fixture has been selected to be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Coverage of our Barclays FA WSL match is available on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Football and begins at 7.30pm, 15 minutes before kick-off at 7.45pm!
The story so far
February proved to be a mixed bag for Olli Harder’s Hammers.
A hard-fought victory away to Aston Villa at the start of the month was followed by a frustrating, and somewhat puzzling, performance at Leicester City, who became only the second team this season to put three or more goals past the Irons.
After a short international break, our team were back to their defensive best in the FA Cup fifth round, holding firm against Reading at the Select Car Leasing Stadium over 120 minutes.
Dagny Brynjarsdóttir would fire in the only goal of the game late on to book the Hammers' place in the quarter-finals, and a date with Ipswich Town.
March brings a busy month of football to West Ham Women, with this week’s home match against Chelsea kicking off a run which sees the Irons visit Birmingham City on Sunday before playing Manchester United at home in just a week’s time.
The aforementioned Ipswich Town cup clash is in for mid-March, before the month ends with another home game, against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Harder and his Hammers will be hoping their manic March can also prove a happy one!
Meet the opposition
When one talks about Chelsea, one is discussing the standard-setters in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League.
Make no mistake about it, the Blues are a formidable opponent, one who have dominated the division in recent seasons. Teams that beat Chelsea are usually bound for great success.
Chelsea Women sit second in the table and have only lost twice in the league this campaign: an opening-day defeat to league leaders Arsenal, and a somewhat surprising 1-0 loss away to Reading prior to the festive break.
With only six goals conceded in 13 league outings, Chelsea have the best defensive record in the WSL this season.
The Blues have, quite simply, won it all, becoming the first English women's team in history to successfully complete the domestic quadruple last season.
Thursday’s game will be a good test of how far West Ham Women have come this season.
Ones to watch
Sam Kerr
One of the most recognisable players in world football, Kerr is the second-highest goalscorer in the Barclays FA WSL this season with nine goals.
The Australian has 15 goals in 19 games in all competitions this campaign, and has scored 47 times in 66 matches for the Blues.
Fran Kirby
Chelsea’s all-time leading goalscorer with over 100 finishes, Kirby has six league goals to her name this campaign and was named the 2021 FWA Women’s Footballer of the Year.
Pernille Harder
Widely noted as the world’s most expensive female footballer when she joined Chelsea from Wolfsburg in September 2020, Harder has netted 28 goals in 55 appearances for Emma Hayes’ team, including 12 this season.
She has twice hit hat-tricks against the Irons, including earlier this season.
How can I follow again?
Tickets are still available for this Thursday’s Barclays FA WSL match between the Irons and Chelsea.
Junior tickets for this London derby start from just £5, while adult admittance is available from just £12!
Alternatively, if you are unable to join us live in Dagenham, Thursday’s fixture has been selected to be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Coverage of our Barclays FA WSL match is available on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Football and begins at 7.30pm, 15 minutes before kick-off at 7.45pm!
