Sunday sees the meeting between the only two teams still undefeated in the Women's Super League, despite being separated by four places. Sonia Bompastor's perfect Chelsea presenter Man Utd in a clash of the unconquered, live on Sky Sports.
Bompastor became the first manager in WSL history to win her first seven league matches last weekend, seeing off title challengers Manchester City to cement the air of superiority that has long prevailed in west London.
Before the weekend, there was the thought that the results so far were to be expected. Deserved, but expected.
Chelsea had picked weaker teams and defeated Arsenal in the Emirates at a time when confidence was ominously fragile – Gunners head coach Jonas Eidevall was given four hours off two days after that defeat.
And so the City Test was designed as a barometer. The first real meeting of in-form title contenders, where the outcome would be decided by who was the best on the day, and much less conspicuous.
But Chelsea did what Chelsea does. They have now won 10 consecutive WSL matches, their longest winning run in the competition, and have excelled in almost every metric used to measure performance. They are also perfect in Europe.
They have been particularly formidable at the top end. Per 90 minutes, Chelsea ranks first in terms of chances created (13.14), goals scored (3.57), shots (17.86) and shots on target (7.71). The difference in their expected goals is enormous. This is a team that now seems more ruthless than under Emma Hayes, the queen of the killer mentality.
Chelsea are also the only team to score 100 percent of their first goals so far and never relinquish their lead. Bompastor's bubble is not meant to burst.
Presumably it would then be logical to dismiss Man Utd's chances on Sunday from the start…
Or would it?
Man Utd and Chelsea are the only two teams still undefeated for a reason; their styles are not hugely different from each other. For all Bompastor's talk about possession-heavy football, we've rarely seen it. Chelsea are fifth in the league in terms of ball touches this season (4,915), while Man Utd are 11th (4,296). Total asset value can be sacrificed in favor of control in meaningful areas.
“My responsibility is to give each player a clear vision. In the build-up phase, the creation phase, small details are very important,” Bompastor said midweek.
Neither side ranks highly in terms of passes completed, with Chelsea fifth and Man Utd ninth in the charts. So what is success based on? Tactical clarity was key, giving each team both flexibility and cohesion. There is a uniform approach at every stage of the game, making teams difficult to pick apart even when conceding a greater share of possession.
Not always sexy, but incredibly efficient.
To his credit, Marc Skinner's side have the nastiest defense in the league, having been tackled just twice in 630 minutes of football. It is a robustness that has been deliberately cultivated during a summer of change at Carrington, rooted in the performances of players new to the club who immediately excelled.
They include goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, winger Celin Bizet and midfielder Grace Clinton. The latter was not a new signing, having only made her senior debut this season after honing her craft on loan at Tottenham last year. She made the difference as Man Utd tried to overpower opponents in the middle third of the pitch, winning the ball in that area more times (197) than any other side. Clinton is responsible for 58 of those turnovers.
Elsewhere, Bizet's contributions since the start of October can only be bettered by Man City duo Lauren Hemp and Khadija Shaw, while Tullis-Joyce is the best-performing goalkeeper in the league, preventing 5.1 goals. Mary Earps' high-profile departure has hardly been felt.
Tullis-Joyce's save rate stands at 91.7 percent, helped in no small part by the central defensive base of Millie Turner and Maya Le Tissier. Turner has blocked eight attempts at Man Utd's goal so far – the third best ratio of any defender in the WSL.
According to the xGA (Expected Goals Against) data, which can be used as a measure of defensive strength, Man Utd should have conceded six times this season – actually just two. The record goes back to two seasons ago, when Man Utd made defensive solidity a hallmark of their title challenge, eventually finishing in second place to Chelsea.
Their process feels much more refined.
Having different ways to win games is something Skinner prides himself on, similar to Bompastor. And is part of the reason why rivals Man City – fixed in a fairly staunch style of fluid football – have been undone by the top teams in recent times. Since the start of the 2022/23 season, City have averaged 1.29 points against the top four. Chelsea, not afraid to be pragmatic, average 2.07.
Man Utd's average of 0.92 isn't that smart either, but if you look at the 2022-2023 season in isolation (their best ever WSL return), the record rises: 10 points in total, an average of 1.66 per competition. Use more of that steely determination and Skinner's side could be a winner.
The real question is this: can the WSL's meanest defense outwit its sharpest attack? It's a subtle science, but it might work.
Watch Chelsea vs Man Utd live on Sky Sports Football on Sunday from 11.30am; starting at 12 noon.
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