Chelsea women have made a strong start to the 2026/27 season after losing their Women’s Super League (WSL) title to Manchester City last season, with Sonia Bompastor’s side showing signs that they are ready to challenge for the trophy again.
The Blues had won six consecutive league titles before Man City ended their dominance in 2025/26. However, they have responded well to that disappointment, winning six of their opening seven league games and scoring 21 goals in the process.
Chelsea are level on 19 points with Manchester City after seven matches, but sit top of the table on goal difference. Their recent results suggest they have the quality to compete for the title, although maintaining that form over the rest of the season will be another challenge.
Chelsea Women Bounce Back After Losing WSL Title
Losing the WSL title last season was a significant moment for Chelsea, who had dominated the competition for several years.
Manchester City ended the Blues’ run of six consecutive titles, leaving Bompastor with the task of ensuring her team could respond and remain competitive at the top of English women’s football.
Chelsea started the new campaign with a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa but have since won six consecutive league matches.
Their run includes a 5-0 victory over Manchester United, a 1-0 win against Arsenal and a convincing 6-2 result against Tottenham Hotspur. They also secured a 3-0 victory over West Ham United before beating Crystal Palace 3-1 on October 25.
The win against Arsenal was particularly important, as Chelsea showed they could get the better of another team capable of fighting for the title.
Meanwhile, their victories over Manchester United and Tottenham demonstrated their attacking quality, with the Blues scoring 11 goals across those two matches.
Chelsea women have also been difficult to beat, conceding just four goals in their opening seven league games.
Those results provide a good indication of their progress, but the most important thing for Bompastor will be maintaining that consistency throughout the campaign.
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Sonia Bompastor Has More Attacking Options
Chelsea’s attacking performances have been one of the biggest positives of their start to the season.
The Blues have scored 21 goals in seven league matches, with several players contributing rather than relying on one individual to deliver every week.
Melvine Malard has been particularly important since arriving from Manchester United. The forward scored twice in Chelsea’s 3-1 comeback victory over Crystal Palace, taking her goal tally to four in the league.
Malard’s performance was especially encouraging because Chelsea had struggled to make the most of their chances in the first half against Palace.
Molly Bartrip put the hosts ahead after 20 minutes, but Malard equalised shortly after the break before heading Chelsea into the lead in the 75th minute. Sandy Baltimore then converted a late penalty to secure all three points.
The result showed that Chelsea could recover from a difficult situation rather than allowing an early setback to cost them points.
Baltimore also made an important contribution after coming off the bench at half-time, providing the assist for Malard’s second goal before scoring from the penalty spot.
Bompastor will need performances like these if Chelsea women are to challenge for the title again. With domestic and European commitments to manage, having several players capable of making a difference could prove crucial.
The Blues also have quality in other areas of the pitch, with Lauren James, Ellie Carpenter and the rest of the squad providing further attacking options.
However, their challenge will be to maintain that output against stronger opposition and avoid dropping points in matches where they are expected to win.
Manchester City Remain the Team To Beat
Despite Chelsea’s impressive start, Manchester City remain their biggest obstacle in the race for the WSL title.
Man City ended Chelsea’s dominance last season and have also started the new campaign strongly. Both teams had collected 19 points from seven matches by October 25, leaving little to separate them at the top of the table.
Chelsea currently have the advantage on goal difference, but that could change quickly as the season progresses.
Bompastor’s side will need to maintain their winning run and take points from their direct rivals if they are to reclaim the trophy.
Their victory over Arsenal was an encouraging sign, but there will be further tests as the season develops. Chelsea must also balance their league campaign with the UEFA Women’s Champions League, which will place additional demands on the squad.
Injuries and fatigue could become factors, particularly if Chelsea progress deep into the European competition. Bompastor will need to rotate her players carefully without sacrificing the consistency that has helped them return to the top of the WSL.
Man City will face similar challenges, making the title race difficult to predict at this early stage.
Chelsea women have given themselves a strong foundation, but they cannot afford to become complacent after a positive opening to the season.
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Extra Time Notes
Chelsea women have made a convincing start to their attempt to reclaim the WSL title, but there is still plenty of work to do.
Bompastor’s side have shown that they can score goals, recover from difficult situations and get results against important rivals. Their next challenge is to maintain that level while competing in multiple competitions.
Manchester City will not make it easy, but Chelsea have given themselves every chance of being involved in the title race until the final stages of the season.
If they can maintain their consistency, the Blues could be celebrating another WSL title at the end of the campaign.
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