Emma Hayes wants Chelsea to get even better before the start of their Super League Women’s title defence.
Chelsea were due to start their season against West Ham at Stamford Bridge last weekend but, with the opening day program postponed following the Queen’s death, the Blues will now start at promoted Liverpool on Sunday.
“I just want to get better, I’m not focused on winning,” Chief Hayes said in her pregame news conference.
“I want to make sure the training is top notch and the starters I select perform at the level we demand in this environment.”
Five internationals – Kadeisha Buchanan, Jelena Cankovic, Eve Perisset, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Katerina Svitkova – have arrived since last season when Chelsea completed a league and FA Cup double.
NEW: Liverpool WILL PLAY Chelsea this weekend… in the women’s season opener https://t.co/oZw4STBdcS
— This is Anfield (@thisisanfield) September 15, 2022
Hayes said: “It’s always good to see the best players coming into our league and every single one of them has settled down.
“It’s not a European championship where you have to play maybe six games, those players have to play 44 games minimum.”
Liverpool won last season’s FA Women’s Championship by an 11-point margin, and former Chelsea boss Matt Beard says his players are excited for Prenton Park’s clash with the champions and the campaign ahead.
Beard said, “We feel like we’re equipped…and we can compete in this division.
“I feel like the players we’ve added have strengthened the XI and the competition for spots. That was something that was very important to do, especially with recruiting.
“Chelsea are a fantastic team. But we will prepare ourselves to try to get something out of the game and I am confident that we can give a good account of ourselves”.
Manchester City, third last season, make their debut at Aston Villa after a summer of great player turnover.
Keira Walsh and Lucy Bronze (both from Barcelona), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich) and Caroline Weir (Real Madrid) were high-profile departures to Europe, while Ellen White, Jill Scott and Karen Bardsley dropped out.
A new City squad includes Kerstin Casparij, Deyna Castellanos, Laia Aleixandri, Mary Fowler (Montpellier), Leila Ouahabi and goalkeeper Sandy MacIver.
Boss Gareth Taylor said: “I would ask the fans to be patient because I think we have really invested in the future of these players.
“I think naturally there was going to be a sizable rotation at some point when you look at the nature of the group that left.
“For the fans, we are on the case. We are really trying to be the best version of ourselves.”
It all starts tomorrow.
UP THE REDS?? pic.twitter.com/mygui7I14c
– Liverpool FC Women (@LiverpoolFCW) September 17, 2022
Tottenham start their campaign in Leicester eager to build on last season’s fifth-place finish.
Rehanne Skinner’s side were unable to host Manchester United at the club’s 62,850-seat stadium last weekend, but the Spurs boss hopes they will be back there soon.
Skinner said: “Everyone can appreciate the scheduling around that with the men’s games and broadcast games, it’s a logistical challenge but the club’s intention is to get us into the stadium for as many games as we can.”
West Ham host Everton at Dagenham with new boss Paul Konchesky having made 12 summer signings.
“I’m really looking forward to playing my first competitive game,” said Konchesky, who spent two seasons as a West Ham player and scored in the 2006 FA Cup final against Liverpool.
“Being able to go out there for the first time and stand on the bench in front of our fans, which will include some of my family, will be a special feeling.”
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