The international break is over, and Chelsea Women are back in action with a London derby against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge. We enter this weekend unbeaten in the Women’s Super League, but still two points behind Manchester City and their perfect start to the season. Beating Spurs is the least we can do to keep up with the title defender’s pace.
Date / Time: Sunday, October 18, 2026, 12:00 BST; 7:00 am EDT
Venue: Stamford Bridge, SW6
Forecast: Sunny intervals and a gentle breeze
Referee: Kirsty Dowle
On TV: Sky Sports (UK); CBS Sports Golazo Network (US); elsewhere
Streaming: Sky Go (UK); Paramount+ (US)
Chelsea team news: Our last outing was a comfortable 3-0 victory over West Ham, with Melvine Malard, Keira Walsh and Maika Hamano getting on the scoresheet. It was a much-needed dominant performance after a few tighter contests in the league and elsewhere.
It’s not often that head coach Sonia Bompastor gets to say she has an entirely fit squad at her disposal, but that’s precisely the situation we find ourselves in ahead of this match. The international break brought no fresh injury concerns, and even Lauren James, who scored twice for England against Greece, has returned in excellent condition.
Tottenham team news: Martin Ho’s side have been one of the more interesting teams to watch this season. Three wins and a draw in their opening four WSL matches had Spurs looking like genuine contenders near the top of the table. That optimism took a significant hit just before the international break, however, with a humiliating 6-1 home defeat to London City Lionesses.
Tottenham made some significant additions to their squad over the summer, bringing in Victoria Pelova from Arsenal, Kirsty Hanson from Aston Villa and Alice Sombath from OL Lyonnes. Pelova has been particularly impressive, scoring five goals in as many league appearances. Meanwhile, former captain Bethany England and long-serving defender Molly Bartrip both departed for Crystal Palace.
In terms of injuries, midfielder Olga Ahtinen is ruled out with a knock that will keep her sidelined for a couple of weeks. Otherwise, Ho has no major confirmed absences, although several players will need to be assessed following their international commitments.
Previously: A lone Keira Walsh goal suffices to get us the three points at Kingsmeadow.