One Half A Maverick

Leicester City 1-3 Chelsea (Women's Super League)

Like my hair the games are thinning out, May is the last month of the English football season and most league competitions have already finished, but for the odd playoff to decide upcoming promotions.

The WSL is in its penultimate week, Manchester City have just ended six years of Chelsea dominance to take the title, but the Blues are second and still aim to end the season strong. They face Leicester ahead of an FA Cup semi-final ironically against Manchester City, before hosting Manchester United on the last day of the WSL season in a fortnights time.

It's not gone well for the men or women of Leicester City this season, whilst the men's side have been relegated from the Championship into League One, the women are bottom of the table in the WSL, thumped by Arsenal 7-0 last time out, they'll have a playoff against Charlton Athletic in a couple of weeks’ time to decide if they survive the drop or not.

It's probably going to be my last game of the regular season, so I'm out the door in sombre mood on this bank holiday Sunday, no work tomorrow, I'm heading down the A46 through Leicester where I eventually pull up on Burnmoor Street next to Filbert Street and the old now derelict home of the Foxes which is mostly student flats in a terraced housing part of town, the men moved over the road in 2002 whilst the ladies have resided at the King Power for the last three or four seasons.

The Venue

It's a short walk from the old ground site to the new stadium, as I trot on to the Raw Dykes Road the white bowl like arena appears stood alone beside a couple of vehicle retailers and a Holiday Express.

There's always something going off outside the ground as kids play with loose footballs that are bouncing around on the brick floor surface being kicked back by passers-by. Inside at the gates I’m offered a large foam hand but pleasantly decline, I walk through the turnstiles with a scan of my phone and head straight up to my seat, around forty minutes to kick off.

It looks busier today from the back row where I’m sat, as the clubs U21's parade their championship title, it seems all the girls teams are here, plenty in attendance to cheer on the last home game of the WSL (potentially for some time).

As usual it's three sides of empty blue seats but the side I'm in is well spread out of largely young female people, I still feel there's unlocked potential for more but in the clubs current predicament I'm not too optimistic about the outlook, relegation may certainly stunt potential growth.

The Game

The last time I watched these two teams play each other I think Chelsea won 8-0. I've seen plenty of improvement from Leicester since then, in a few years they have learned how to become competitive against the nation's elite, but there's still a gap, and in recent months Leicester have slipped some, they aren't nearly as strong as the Foxes side I have seen in the previous couple of campaigns.

One reason for their demise is a lack of fire power. Goals have been hard to come by this season, just 10 scored in 20 games and although Rick Passmoor has them well drilled defensively, they play too deep to ever get out of danger, as the game starts it's relentless attack after attack, Chelsea playing all their football in just one half of the pitch, every time Leicester clears, it just comes back.

I'm impressed with the Blues right back Ellie Carpenter, venturing forward and linking with the Maverick that is Lauren James, she offers little movement, but when she gets it, girl, she can play.

James reminds me of a 70's throw back like Frank Worthington or Stan Bowles, she hardly looks like she's interested, I'm not sure if she even enjoys playing football, she's just bloody good at it.

Another blast from the past in the way she plays is their hard grafting striker Sam Kerr, an Australian international she’s a really busy athlete and although not the biggest, great in the air, like Peter Osgood once was, a 64th WSL goal scored by Kerr on 13 as she heads home a Niamh Charles cross from the left, perfectly stood up, Kerr doing what she does best heading down into the corner of the net.

There’s a similar chance for Kaptein who heads over from close range, it looked easier to score with the goal gaping, before Lauren James takes aim, she’s cut inside from the right on 27, now drifting in off the left, playing where she likes, flicking the ball through her legs before getting it onto her right foot, smashing home a curling shot from outside the area, I’m wowed by the technique, it’s all so effortless, exceptional as she trots away like she's done it a thousand times in training.

James has done little but when she does something it oozes class, it just looks better when she does it, her left foot easily as good as her right as she pings yet another cross field pass.

The Score

You feel despite her quality, James is probably less important for Chelsea than the likes of Sam Kerr and Erin Cuthbert, Johanna Rytting who I really like down the right, Lauren’s lack of effort off the ball doesn’t go unnoticed, but a when a free kick is controversially awarded on the edge of the Leicester box, you feel that they’ll be only one outcome, as James stands over the ball, before walking two paces and curling one in off the crossbar.

Again it’s effortless, again it’s exceptional, 3-0 to Chelsea.

That third goal might even have given Chelsea false premise? Lucy Bronze who’s had an age to do what she wants with the ball at centre half, she’s passed back blind under no pressure at all, Shannon O’Brien is sent through on goal, and one-on-one with Peng she slips home beneath the keeper, to give the hosts but a glimmer of hope.

That goal brings the noise from the home crowd as Hannah Cain tries a speculative effort which goes wide and after half time Leicester have a real go, as Thibaud heads inches wide, but it’s pressure that peters out, Chelsea who by now have taken the likes of James, Kerr and Cuthbert off, regain their foothold and break forward with the tricky looking Sandy Baltimore and speedy silky Alyssa Thompson, there should be more goals added as Baltimore is guilty of blasting wide after dancing around several players, in the end there’s no more but it’s a routine afternoon in the Midlands for the away side, who never really have to get out of third gear to impose themselves on their struggling opponents.

The Stars

Lauren James is a super talent but you tend to see where England boss Sarina Wiegman is coming from when she opts not to play her, the team ethic is not quite top of James’ agenda, but give her the ball, and she can certainly play.

Don’t get me wrong, raw technique and ability, James is a million miles above anyone else in the WSL (from what I have seen), but I was just as impressed with Chelsea's Australian right back Ellie Carpenter who got the ball and drove forward, in nineteen year old midfielder Alexia Potter who got better and better the later the game went, in the likes of Johanna Rytting-Kaneryd who grafts hard with grace when on the ball, in Erin Cuthbert who keeps things ticking along from midfield.

Sam Kerr is a real star striker, one you just feel confident in backing when she’s inside the penalty area, but this Chelsea side is packed with talent, Lucy Bronze an old school defender and leader, Kadeisha Buchanan a powerful defender with pace, Niamh Charles a good quality left back with 30 plus England caps, I could go on.

That’s the difference, with this elite Chelsea squad, and a plucky, but limited Leicester City opponent. I do actually feel, better coached, with more attacking intent, they might have a chance to not isolate their forwards so much, which could see more positivity in their play, whilst the likes of Shannon O’Brien, Hannah Cain, Alisha Lehmann, are not bad players, they get little support with others joining them in attack.

One forward I did like when she came on was their big powerful number nine Noemie Mouchon, whilst Sam Tierney their skipper never lets me down, she ran her socks off and for me, could play in any WSL team and do a perfectly good job.

The Verdict

Leicester may very well go down, should they lose their playoff to Charlton it could be the end of an era, if they do manage to stay up, it could be the second chance they need to survive?

I’m not optimistic because I don’t see enough goals, unfortunately under the current ownership I don’t see enough vision either, I wonder, should they fall down a division this summer, will that leave them even playing away from the King Power Stadium?

No such homelessness for Chelsea, they have agreed a deal to play at Stamford Bridge from next season onwards, a team that might finally have relinquished their long line of WSL titles, can still end the campaign with a positive, should they win the FA Cup, that might be the silverware they need, to kick start 2026/27 with more confidence to take back their urn from the new noisy neighbour in league champions Manchester City.

The Teams

Leicester City: Katie Keane, Sarah Mayling, Chantelle Swaby, Sari Kees (Rachel Williams 78), Julie Thibaud, Asmita Ale (Ashleigh Neville 55), Emily van-Egmond (Jutta Rantala 78), Sam Tierney, Emma Jansson, Hannah Cain (Noemie Mouchon 56), Shannon O'Brien (Alisha Lehmann 55).

Chelsea: Livia Peng, Ellie Carpenter, Lucy Bronze, Kadeisha Buchanan, Niamh Charles (Veerle Buurman 62), Erin Cuthbert (Sjoeke Nusken 46), Alexia Potter, Wieke Kaptein, Johanna Rytting-Kaneryd (Alyssa Thompson 62), Sam Kerr (Agnes Beever-Jones 62), Lauren James (Sandy Baltimore 46).

2:30pm Kick Off. Sunday 3rd May 2026, Leicester City Stadium, Leicester (att 2,000)