Previewing LCFC Women's Chelsea Trip
The Blues have won three of their four WSL fixtures and sit third in the early standings, while Leicester are currently 10th and searching for a first three points of the campaign.
Find everything you need to know ahead of the pair's meeting in the capital, below...
The Foxes camp
After welcoming back Charlie Devlin for the game against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, City will be missing the midfielder again on Sunday due to a persistent ankle injury, while Shannon O'Brien has also picked up an ankle knock and is a doubt for the clash with the Blues.
They’ll remain without Lachante Paul for the trip south, too. The forward suffered a dislocated knee and cartilage tear in training, and Sophie Barker also remains out of contention, alongside long-term absentees Abbi Grant and Connie Scofield.
Young midfielder Mackenzie Smith, meanwhile, is on international duty with England Under-17s.
In the dugout
Since arriving in August 2012, Emma Hayes has presided over a hugely successful period in Chelsea Women’s history, including five WSL titles, two FA Cups, two League Cups and the Community Shield.
The 44-year-old was awarded an MBE for services to football in 2016 and has collected the FA WSL Manager of the Year award at the end of the last two seasons, as well as guiding the Blues to the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final for the first time in 2020/21.
The opposition
Starting the season with a 3-2 loss away at Arsenal, Chelsea have since maintained a 100 per cent record in the league and domestic cup, including a 4-0 victory over Everton and an impressive 6-1 defeat of Manchester United at Leigh Sports Village.
They backed that up with an emphatic 4-0 success against Birmingham City in the quarter-finals of the 2020/21 Vitality Women’s FA Cup, before seeing off Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 in their last league fixture.
In midweek, meanwhile, Pernille Harder scored a 92nd minute equaliser to rescue a 3-3 draw against German giants VfL Wolfsburg on matchday one of the UEFA Champions League group stage. Sam Kerr and Beth England were also on the scoresheet for the Londoners in the Group A stalemate at Kingsmeadow.
Ones to watch
There is international quality throughout Chelsea’s ranks, but Sam Kerr and Fran Kirby, a pair crucial to the Blues’ league title triumph last season, have once again started 2021/22 in impressive form.
Australian international Kerr is already the WSL’s top goalscorer this term with five (and one assist) in four matches, while England forward Kirby tops the league’s assists chart, laying on five goals for her team-mates, as well as scoring two of her own.
With world-record signing Pernille Harder often playing alongside the duo, there is always concern for opposition defences, especially with the likes of Lionesses striker Beth England and Scotland’s Erin Cuthbert also operating in attacking areas. All three have hit the net at least once this campaign.
Talking Points
Speaking during Thursday's press conference, manager Jonathan Morgan said: “We know we are the underdogs on Sunday. We feel that it’s a game where there’s no pressure on us. We hope we can then show our quality in spells during the game to give us the platform to go forward.”
Sam Tierney commented on City's mental strategy ahead of the game: “We’re going to go in and fear no one. We want to try and go and get whatever we can from the game. It’s just about being confident in our abilities and looking forward to this game and then the games beyond.”
Ticket News
Match tickets for the fixture are now on general sale and must be purchased directly from Chelsea, HERE. Unreserved standing and seating tickets are both available, priced at £9/10 for adults and £1/£2 for concessions (under-20s and over-65s).
Please note that tickets will go off sale at 11am on Saturday 9 October.
LCFC Women 2021/22 Season Tickets are also still available to purchase, with full details, HERE.
Last time out
The two sides are meeting in a competitive league fixture for the first time, though the Foxes did encounter Chelsea in a pre-season friendly at Belvoir Drive ahead of the 2021/22 campaign getting underway.
How to follow
Sunday’s fixture will be covered extensively on LCFC Women’s official social media channels, with team news to be announced at 11:30am, before in-game updates and behind-the-scenes across the afternoon.
Following full-time whistle at Kingsmeadow a round-up of the day’s events will be available to read on LCFC.com, as well as post-match interviews with members of the Foxes’ dressing room on LCFC TV.
You can also catch extended highlights of the best of action on the Club’s in-house TV channel from midday on Monday, while the game is also being broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting at 11:30am.
All times BST.