‘Excited To Get Back To League Action’ – Kirk Address Chelsea Test

Next Match | Friday 24 April Fri 24 Apr

MIL

(H)

00 D

01 H

25 M

03 S

Interviews & Features

Heritage

Photos

‘Excited To Get Back To League Action’ – Kirk Address Chelsea Test

LCFC Women take on current Barclays Women’s Super League champions Chelsea this weekend and Willie Kirk is looking forward to continuing the team's positive momentum.

2024-03-03T09:01:00.000Z

by Matthew Temple

Published

03 Mar, 2024

‘Excited To Get Back To League Action’ – Kirk Address Chelsea Test

LCFC Women take on current Barclays Women’s Super League champions Chelsea this weekend and Willie Kirk is looking forward to continuing the team's positive momentum.

Matthew Temple

2024-03-03T09:01:00.000Z

‘Excited To Get Back To League Action’ – Kirk Address Chelsea Test

LCFC Women take on current Barclays Women’s Super League champions Chelsea this weekend and Willie Kirk is looking forward to continuing the team's positive momentum.

Matthew Temple

2024-03-03T09:01:00.000Z

‘Excited To Get Back To League Action’ – Kirk Address Chelsea Test

LCFC Women take on current Barclays Women’s Super League champions Chelsea this weekend and Willie Kirk is looking forward to continuing the team's positive momentum.

Matthew Temple

2024-03-03T09:01:00.000Z

‘Excited To Get Back To League Action’ – Kirk Address Chelsea Test

LCFC Women take on current Barclays Women’s Super League champions Chelsea this weekend and Willie Kirk is looking forward to continuing the team's positive momentum.

Matthew Temple

2024-03-03T09:01:00.000Z

As the international break comes to a close, City return to WSL action when they welcome Chelsea on Sunday evening at King Power Stadium (6pm GMT kick-off). During Friday’s press conference at Belvoir Drive, the Manager discussed several key topics…

Returning to form

Leicester started 2024 by earning five victories and despite an upcoming challenge against the league leaders, the Manager is confident in his sides’ ability to put up a good fight on Filbert Way.

“It’s exciting to get back to league action,” Kirk stated. “Especially after the way we finished before the international break with back-to-back wins and 11 goals.

“It’s a shame the break came when it did, because we’ve been in good form – we have been since the turn of the year with five wins from seven, so it’s good to be back.

“It can kill your momentum a little bit, but it’s up to us to restore that momentum and what better way to get back into action than against Chelsea live on Sky Sports.”

The season ahead

A week after Chelsea’s trip to the East Midlands, City are on the travels themselves when they face Liverpool at Prenton Park in the quarter-finals of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup.

Itching to get going once again, the former Everton manager discussed the recent international break, and the benefits it had on several players, despite some Foxes being sidelined with injury for the weekend’s clash.

“You can also use the international breaks as a positive,” Kirk continued. “Jutta Rantala comes back having scored. Janice Cayman and Sophie Howard got good minutes. Emilia Pelgander had a really good 90 minutes with Sweden Under-23s.

“We’ve got big games coming up, including the FA Cup, so there’s a lot to play for and it’s an exciting time in the season and a big run-in, and more exciting than last season when we were trying to see if we’d stay up.”

Looking at Chelsea

Chelsea come to Leicestershire with a slim lead over Manchester City at the summit of the WSL but following a 5-2 defeat at Kingsmeadow earlier this season, Kirk is hoping Sunday will be a sign of the team’s development.

He added: “Our preparation doesn’t change because of the opponent we’re facing. The external expectation last season was that we’d lose each game, but we challenged that.

“We now go into some games as favourites, so we’re managing to move that needle, but against the top four it’s difficult. They’re quite far ahead of the league, but we’ll use this weekend as a game to test our progress.

“Our last home games against Chelsea were heavy defeats. I think our last one was my third game in charge, and it was raining hard so that probably sums up the game.

“But we’re developed massively, and the squad is unrecognisable now. I’m looking forward to it and the challenge we’ve given to the players is earn the right to play our way against Chelsea.”

LATEST HEADLINES

U18s Lose Out To Saints City's Under-18s were on the wrong side of a 3-1 scoreline against Southampton in U18 Premier League South on Friday.

1 Hour 4 Mins Ago

Rowett Previews Millwall Encounter We owe it to the supporters to finish the season in the strongest possible fashion, according to Gary Rowett, speaking ahead of coming up against Millwall.

9 Hours 34 Mins Ago

Leitzig Ruled Out For London City Test With Injury Rick Passmoor has confirmed Janina Leitzig will miss LCFC Women's match up with London City Lionesses, in what was a lengthy squad update following the international break.

18 Hours 34 Mins Ago

PL2 Play-Offs Explained As Last-16 Opponents Revealed City’s Under-21s side have reached the Premier League 2 Play-Offs, where we will face Tottenham Hotspur away tomorrow (7pm kick-off).

23 Apr, 2026