- Manchester City (W) come into the game on the back of a dominant run of form, having just wrapped up the 2025 - 26 Women’s Super League title in dramatic fashion
- Chelsea (W) have won five of their last six matches in all competitions, demonstrating cup form and finding consistency after a patchy middle part of the campaign
- Chelsea (W) tend to control the game, while City’s style is to press and counter
Blue battle at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea (W) finished second to Manchester City (W) in the WSL this season, but the Blues will be looking to avenge City’s usurpation by winning the Women’s FA Cup.
The Blues will have to beat the team that beat them to the title to get there, but there is history in the head-to-head record between these sides, with Chelsea (W) holding a slight advantage in all-time H2H stats. It will be a tight game, with Phoebe Cross in charge and demand for tickets running high, so expect a fast-paced, technical match on Sunday.
A tale of two contrasting approaches
Chelsea (W) build from a solid foundation of structure and possession, usually dictating the phases of the match by dominating the midfield and patiently building from the back. Boss Sonia Bompastor has implemented an attacking philosophy on her squad, but it is built on a base of control.
City will look to disrupt Chelsea’s play by pressing them in their own half and allowing their attack to progress the ball at high speed. The Citizens are ruthless and clinical, never losing their shape in big moments and consistently overloading the wide areas to create opportunities.
This contrasts with Chelsea’s more technical build-up, and it should be interesting to see whether the tempo of the games suits City’s pressing strategy or Chelsea’s transition into their own attack. Kerolin scored a hat-trick in City’s 5-1 thrashing of Chelsea and will be a constant threat on the day, while Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw has been a clinical goal machine all season for the Citizens.
City’s momentum should see them through
Although the bookies have City as slight favourites at 19/20, Chelsea are a big price at 58/25 with the draw at 5/2. We are going with City’s league-winning form and the fact they have a deeper squad than their opponents.
City boss Andrée Jeglertz has moulded a ruthless and efficient team, while Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor has instilled her team with a more attacking philosophy and built a squad who can compete for the top positions in the league. Chelsea are a threat in the cups, however, and their cup pedigree should not be underestimated.
We can expect goals, with Over 2.5 goals at 69/100 and BTTS - Yes at 31/50 looking like solid bets, but we think City will edge this one. Kerstin Casparij’s creativity, Alex Greenwood’s set-piece mastery and Ayaka Yamashita’s consistency between the sticks were the ingredients of their title-winning side.
Chelsea’s attacking talent, Beever-Jones, Thompson and James, have been key in cup runs for the club this season, with Beever-Jones having scored in the WSL opener. In midfield, Erin Cuthbert is a dynamo, and Chelsea have stability and dependability in goal with Hampton and resilience in defence from Nüsken.
Expect an exciting affair between two sides who can both score goals and are both chasing silverware - City will be going for the domestic double, while Chelsea will want to avenge a second-place finish to their bitter rivals.
