man utd vs chelsea: WSL live updates, team news, streams
Headlines the Women’s Super League Sunday card, with both managers chasing a response after opening-day setbacks. Manchester United start Jusu Bah on the wing…
WATFORD — man utd vs chelsea opened the Women’s Super League Sunday slate at 12:00 BST, with both sides looking for an early response after disappointing results on the opening weekend. Manchester United hosted Chelsea as the league’s champions and one of its newest managers both tried to steady their start.
The stakes were obvious. United needed a result at home, while Chelsea arrived after a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa and a performance Sonia Bompastor said fell short in the box.
Team news shapes the first big test
Manchester United handed a start to summer signing Jusu Bah on the wing. Eva Olid also made a change on the left, saying Monica Jusu Bah offered a more offensive profile.
Olid told Sky Sports: "I expect a reaction from the players. Anything can happen in football but at minimum, I expect us to be ourselves and put in a good performance." She added, "We want to win the game."
United were without Jayde Riviere, who is injured, while Hanna Lundkvist was ready to start after impressing in training. Emma Watson remained sidelined for several weeks, and Fridolina Rolfö was unavailable after announcing her pregnancy.
Chelsea, meanwhile, left Aggie Beever-Jones on the bench and started Grace Potter. The Blues also had a busy injury list, with former United attacker Melvine Malard still unavailable, along with Mayra Ramírez and Manaka Matsukubo.
There was one possible boost. Defender Nathalie Björn was close to full recovery and might even make the squad.
Chelsea seek a sharper edge
Bompastor said Chelsea needed to be more ruthless after their draw at Aston Villa. "It's about finishing the actions. We need to stay confident. We are producing a lot on the pitch but it is about ruthlessness in the box," she said to Sky Sports.
She also warned that United would not roll over at Leigh Sports Village. "I think Man Utd still have good players, individually and as a team. They have a new manager so they are probably still on their game style. But they are at home, they need a result and they will never give us anything easy today," Bompastor said.
The clash mattered for more than the table on day one. Chelsea had already dropped points in a 1-1 draw on a weekend when they expected more, and United came in after a defeat that left them needing a cleaner performance in front of their own crowd. A second slow start would only deepen pressure on both benches.
The rest of the Sunday schedule stretched across the league, with three games at 14:00 including Liverpool v Tottenham, BBC coverage of Arsenal v Crystal Palace at 14:45, and champions Man City at Aston Villa at 18:30.
That made man utd vs chelsea the early reference point for the day. The first big test. The first real answer.
Sky Sports said its live blog covered match updates, scores, streams and free highlights, while BBC Sport followed the game from kickoff with both managers searching for a reaction after the opening weekend.
