The lowdown on Chelsea FC Women

FC Barcelona face Chelsea on Sunday at 9.00pm CEST in only their second ever UEFA Women’s Champions League Final. Here are the essentials on the team that stands between them and a first ever European crown.

Where are they from?

Chelsea is a borough in the west of London, although the club itself have never been based there. They’re actually from the neighbouring of Fulham, but as there was already a team called that, when they were founded in 1905 they opted for Chelsea instead.

History

The men’s team have always been one of England’s top sides, and were league champions for the first time in 1955. However, since the club was acquired by billionaire Roman Abramovich in 2003, it has moved up to another level to become one of the strongest teams in Europe, winning five more league titles and the club’s first Champions League in 2012.

This year the men are through to final again, where they’ll face Manchester City. But they have also become the first ever club to appear in both the men’s and women’s finals in the same year...

The women’s team was founded in 1992 and since gaining promotion to the top flight for the first time in 2005 have remained there ever since.

Performances steadily improved over the years and after winning four of the last six Super League titles, they are currently the strongest team in England.

They reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2018 and 2019, losing to Wolfsburg and Lyon, and have now reached the final for the first time, where they are hoping to become only the second English side to lift the trophy after Arsenal won it in 2007.

Head to head

This will be the first time the two teams have ever met in the Champions League. In fact, Chelsea’s meeting with Atlético Madrid in this season’s round of 16 was their first ever with a Spanish team. The Blues won 3-1 on aggregate.

It’s Barça’s fourth encounter with an English team. After being eliminated by Arsenal in 2013 and Bristol Academy in 2015, they claimed their first English scalp, Manchester City, in this season’s quarter final.  

Form guide

Chelsea were confirmed as English champions last week in a season in which they only lost one game (an unexpected home defeat to Brighton). With Chelsea scoring 69 goals and conceding just ten, the championship developed into a two-horse race between themselves and Manchester City, and was eventually decided by a margin of just two points.

Attention has now switched to the FA Cup, with Chelsea hoping to complete a first-ever treble, having also secured the League Cup.

Their route to the Champions League Final has been as follows (aggregate scores over two legs):

Round of 32: Chelsea 8-0 Benfica
Round of 16: Chelsea 3-1 Atlético Madrid
Quarter Final: Chelsea 5-1 Wolfsburg
Semi Final: Chelsea 5-3 Bayern Munich

The players

Most capped internationals
Maren Mjelde (Norway 150), Ji So-yun (South Korea 125), Pernille Harder (Denmark 125), Sophie Ingle (Wales 104), Sam Kerr (Australia 88), Jessie Fleming (Canada 81), Melanie Leupolz (Germany 70), Magdalena Eriksson (Sweden 67), Jonna Andersson (Sweden 55), Guro Reiten (Norway 53), Fran Kirby (England 45), Millie Bright (England 37), Erin Cuthbert (Scotland 36), Carly Telford (England 23)

While at Wolfsburg, Pernille Harder won the UEFA Women's Player of the Year Award in 2018 and 2020, the only player to receive the honour twice.

Leading goalscorers 2020/21 (all competitions)
Sam Kerr 27, Fran Kirby 25, Pernille Harder 16, Beth England 11

Most assists 2020/21 (all competitions)
Fran Kirby 18, Guro Reiten 12, Beth England 11, Sam Kerr 11

The boss

Emma Hayes MBE has been manager of Chelsea since 2012, leading the club to its first league title and throughout the golden era that has followed. Though born in London, she had spent most of her coaching career in the United States, before returning to England as assistant coach at Arsenal, winning the Champions League in 2007. She then spent two years as head coach of the Chicago Red Stars before returning to London to take charge of Chelsea.

TV Coverage 

In most of the world you will be able to watch the Champions League final live on Barça TV+, just click right here to find out more!