MAIN EVENT. Chelsea v Arsenal never disappoints

In the blue corner stand Chelsea. West London’s battle-hardened mix of youth and experience. In the red corner it’s Arsenal. North London’s perennial pretenders, bloodied but unbowed.

Who will strike the first blow? Who will counterpunch? Who has the defence to stand up to relentless attacks?

Chloe Shields speaks to Sonia Bompastor and Renée Slegers ahead of the decisive match.

Tension and emotion run through the recent rivalry between Arsenal and Chelsea, but this season the stakes already seem even higher. There are new narratives being written, a more competitive league and much-needed early points up for grabs.

A WSL London derby awaits as Chelsea hope to right the wrongs of their 2-0 loss to the Gunners at Stamford Bridge last January. Meanwhile Arsenal need confidence; a win against their biggest enemy may be just the boost they need to get their season back on track.

Neither team has started the 2026-27 season exactly how they would have wanted.

Chelsea christened their new permanent home at Stamford Bridge with a dominant, but misfiring 1-1 draw against Aston Villa, picking themselves up with a 5-0 win against a faltering Manchester United and getting their first home win against Birmingham City, with young star Lexi Potter on the scoresheet.

Arsenal, on the other hand, secured an opening day victory away at Brighton, but both their subsequent games, against newly-promoted Crystal Palace and the same United that Chelsea thrashed, have ended all square. Despite consistent dominance, Arsenal’s senior attackers can’t seem to find the back of the net, relying on 19-year-olds Lisa Baum and Smilla Holmberg to score their only two league goals of the campaign so far. 

Priorities

Both sides also had lacklustre opening days in the UWCL league phase against Pot 3 teams in midweek. Arsenal won 1-0 against Danish side HB Køge with a very late penalty from Mariona Caldentey. Chelsea’s Wieke Kaptein fired home in the first half to secure their identical 1-0 win, despite Austria Wien having more attempts on goal.

There’s concern for Keira Walsh, who left the field with a quad injury, though both teams have squad depth. Indeed, Arsenal have to leave three players off their team sheet every week due to WSL bench limits and Chelsea bolster theirs with talented youngsters, so both will have world class squads available at the weekend.

It seems priorities were elsewhere for both teams in midweek, with this Sunday’s match-up a potential launchpad for the rest of the season. And even though we are only three games in, it could be defining in the race for the top of the league table.

Sonia Bompastor’s Blues will have Slegers’ Reds in their sights, because despite the Dutch gaffer’s first loss at Arsenal’s helm being a 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge, she’s often had Chelsea worked out during her time in North London.

Last season, a controversial 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium saw Stina Blackstenius’ goal ruled out for a non-existent hand ball, then an emphatic 2-0 Arsenal win on Chelsea’s turf, the first time the Blues had lost at the Bridge in the WSL. And these were key to the Blues’ disappointing third place league finish.

A London derby in the Champions League also went the way of the Gunners, a 3-1 win in a rainy North London followed by a passionate battle in the West which saw controversy and a late Nüsken goal, but it wasn’t enough to put Chelsea into the semis.

Who’s got McCabe? Katie McCabe has swapped red for blue this summer and will be in pole position to start the London derby, but in a different colour this time. She has become a name synonymous with this fixture – sent off at the Bridge (above) in 2025 for having words with the ref (and that same referee, Emily Heaslip, will be at the centre of proceedings this time) and making headlines in last season’s UWCL second-leg with an unidentified hair-pull on Alyssa Thompson in the dying moments.

For a player so central to this game in recent years, seeing how she plays in the other colour could be central to the Blues’ success or failure. Whether she whips out a hair-pulling celebration with Thompson upon scoring or gets another red card, McCabe could be key to this game.

This match sees two Champions League-winning head coaches going head to head with two of the most decorated squads in the game. Arsenal know that dropping all three points in West London could spell an end to their title hopes, while Chelsea will want to keep building to finish better after last season’s third place.

Can the Gunners step up against top teams as they did many times last year, or will Chelsea continue the ‘christening’ of their new main home stadium with a derby day victory? 

BLUE CORNER

Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor stresses the importance of keeping consistent, taking fixtures game by game as they head into a tricky run; Arsenal at the weekend before a homecoming for the French manager, as they travel to her old club Lyon in midweek.

Bompastor believes the game will be decided by fine margins, praising her opposing coach Slegers as one of the best in the world. Whilst the Gunner’s have found it difficult to score, both teams have only conceded one goal in four games, this weekend could come down to who can put out the most defensively solid display.

I spoke to Sonia Bompastor about the make-up of her squad, and how excited she is to be coaching a North v West London derby once again.

Chelsea are doing really well at showcasing young players, you had Lexi Potter scoring the other day, plus Wieke (Kaptein) and Veerle (Buurman)… do you think the club are doing anything differently to uplift these players, even in big games like Sunday?

Sonia Bompastor: From a manager’s perspective, these young players are world class, mature enough to be starting in the league or in the Champions League.

That’s the most important decision as a manager to have players who, even if they are young, are mature enough to start.

If they have the quality, you know looking at them, you give them the chance. Yes, sometimes it’s probably a bit easier to go with someone a bit more experienced, but you need to sometimes give them a chance and be patient with them.

It’s a long process, from the beginning when we give them that chance, sometimes you can’t expect them to deliver from the beginning, so it’s in that process how you also support them through it.

Having the conversations, giving them the feedback and support to make sure they stay confident and consistent in their performances… and be brave enough to give them the chance.

On the derby this weekend, you’ve managed some massive games in your career, including Champions League finals, so how does the rivalry against Arsenal, with all its tension and history, compare? Do you enjoy coaching these moments?

Bompastor: I think with Renée (Slegers) we are coaches who are really calm and respect each other, but if we talk about the game…

Yes, it’s really exciting. I think two of the best teams in the world are facing each other and I think great players on the pitch is always really exciting.

These games are top of my list in terms of experience. They are a great experience.

RED CORNER

Arsenal head coach Renée Slegers is keen to not dwell on their opening fixtures, or overdramatise where the squad are at early on, but just do what they need to do to start winning games. The squad is still finding rhythm, eight summer signings still acclimatising to the new environment and Slegers stresses they have strong foundations to build on.

Unlikely to face a low block from Chelsea will be a relief for the Gunners, as this system really hurt them in their two draws so far. Facing two – even three – attacking teams next, who will want to fight on the pitch, will be a welcome break while the team solve this puzzle behind the scenes.

No changes in the team from midweek and despite all the pressure, difficulties and disappointment from the opening three weeks, Slegers is staying positive as the club keep pushing forward together.

I spoke to Renée Slegers about playing their big London rival and the mentality of the squad to keep pushing through tough moments.

You haven’t had the start you’d have wanted this season; how have you managed in these difficult moments to stick together mentally and learn from those fixtures?

Renée Slegers: It’s about people coming together and aligning on where we want to go, reflecting honestly and making plans going forward to bring people together.

It’s about keeping positivity, lightness in the environment, being able to see the bigger picture and the direction.

It’s making sure it’s not too heavy because I think these players are so good and they want it so bad. They want to take responsibility and that’s really good.

They just have to sometimes also go out and play. And enjoy the games as they did when they were kids, so we try to balance that as well.

An occasion like Arsenal v Chelsea is of course a massive fixture; probably one of the biggest rivalries in women’s football. You’ve done it a few times now. So what’s it like to manage a fixture where it’s tense both on the pitch and in the stands?

Slegers: I love it! [massive smile on her face]

Yes, I really enjoy it, I love it, I look forward to it.

It’s going to be such a fight and it’s going to be such a battle, two really good teams.

I love those moments for us, so I look forward to it.

Chelsea v Arsenal, Stamford Bridge, 4.30pm UK time. Live on Sky Sports.

Photos: Helen M Jerome