Two early-season storylines collide at the Chigwell Construction Stadium this Sunday, as bottom-placed West Ham look to spark their campaign into life against a Chelsea side that has started the season with three straight victories. The Blues have been ruthless under manager Sonia Bompastor, while the Hammers are still searching for their first point despite showing glimpses of quality in narrow defeats.
Date / Time: Sunday, September 28, 2025, 14.30 BST; 9:30am EDT Venue: Chigwell Construction Stadium,
Dagenham, UK Referee: Callum Jones Forecast: Fine and sunny
On TV: none (UK); none (USA); elsewhere
Streaming: BBC iPlayer (UK); ESPN+ (USA)
West Ham team news: The Hammers are enduring a difficult start to the season under Rehanne Skinner, having lost all three of their opening Women’s Super League fixtures without picking up a single point. They’ve scored just two goals while conceding ten despite the best efforts of midfielder Viviane Asseyi.
New signings in midfielder Sarah Brasero-Carreira, forward Ffion Morgan and fullback Yu Endo have yet to make a mark on the team. Meanwhile veterans such as Shekiera Martinez and Kinga Szemik are still trying to find their footing to kick things on for the rest of the season.
They did secure a morale-boosting 5-1 midweek victory in the Women’s League Cup against Charlton, which manager Rehanne Skinner will hope can provide momentum heading into a daunting fixture. After all the Hammers have lost their last five WSL games, and defeat on Sunday would mean six losses in a row — something they’ve never previously endured.
Chelsea team news: A meagre 1-0 victory against Leicester City in our first Kingsmeadow match of the season left Chelsea fans wanting. We all know that while taking three points is what matters most, goal difference can be the difference between defending the Women’s Super League title or losing it at the final day of the season.
On the availability front Bompastor has confirmed that Sjoeke Nüsken and Lexi Potter have recovered from their injuries and are available for selection. However, Lucy Bronze, Naomi Girma and Lauren James remain sidelined with issues sustained before the campaign began.
Niamh Charles is still recovering from the ankle injury she sustained against Aston Villa earlier this month. The return of James is pencilled in for mid-October, providing the Blues with another attacking option as they juggle domestic and European commitments.
Previously: Three first-half goals to put the match to bed, and two more goals for good measure.
