Women’s Super League returns live on Sky: Naomi Girma in line for Chelsea as managerless Liverpool and Crystal Palace face off | Football Newsnews24

The Women’s Super League returns after February’s international break with the top three – Chelsea, Man Utd and Arsenal – all in action on a full card of Sunday fixtures. Debuts, reunions and manager sackings – what are the key things to look out for?

Girma finally in Chelsea mix

Sonia Bompastor has confirmed that world-record transfer Naomi Girma is expected to be in Chelsea’s matchday squad for the first time since joining from San Diego Wave.

The defender – we don’t often associate record-breaking fees with defenders do we? – looks set to make her first appearance in Chelsea blue away at Brighton this weekend, live on Sky Sports.

There’s been lots of chat about Girma since her January arrival, considered the last piece of Bompastor’s puzzle, as the Frenchwoman attempts to steer Chelsea towards WSL glory and crack the European conundrum, all in her first season in charge.

Chelsea are the only team still unbeaten in the WSL. Their 40 points is the most any team has had after 14 games. And therefore it’s hard to imagine a world where they are caught domestically. Opta puts their chances of a sixth straight crown at 99 per cent.

But where Girma will really prove her pedigree is on the European stage. Assuming she gets the chance to integrate over the next couple of games, her physicality and ability to read the game in and out of possession should partner well with Millie Bright. Girma’s mobility – something Bright lacks – will complement too.

Bompastor’s squad is locked and loaded. Now let’s see what they can really achieve.

Emotional reunion for Kirby?

A fun sub-plot of Chelsea’s meeting with Brighton on Sunday will see Fran Kirby face her former side for the first time since leaving last summer.

Kirby scored a club record 116 goals in 208 appearances for Chelsea, winning 11 major trophies, including seven WSL titles. She’s more than earned recognition as one of the London club’s all-time greats. Perhaps even the greatest.

Not that any of that sentimentality should obscure her desire to score this weekend. Kirby’s output played a big part in Brighton winning five of their first eight WSL games this season, albeit form has waned recently.

Only rock-bottom Crystal Palace have won fewer points than Brighton in their last six outings.

Still, Kirby has the quality and fortitude to cause her former employers problems this weekend. And Chelsea will have to manage her threat accordingly in order to avoid any slip ups.

Man Utd showing stamina

Man Utd have won each of their last six league games, including all four in 2025, their best ever winning start to a calendar year in the top-flight. Anyone who thought Marc Skinner’s side would tail off by this point were mistaken.

Credit where it’s due, Man Utd have comfortably been the most consistent team of those in the chase to hunt down Chelsea. They started the campaign by focussing on getting defensive principles right and got criticised for a lack of creativity and underperformance at the top end.

But now they seem to have married defensive stability with attacking fluency. This weekend United will aim to become the first team in WSL history to score inside the opening 10 minutes of four consecutive games. They’ve really upped their level and results have followed suit.

Elisbeth Terland’s influence has been crucial. The forward, signed in the summer from Brighton, has been directly involved in seven goals across her last four appearances. Based on her form, and that of a United side finally showing cohesion matched with conviction, a home win over struggling Leicester seems likely.

Liverpool begin life without Beard in managerless derby

Liverpool have endured a rough campaign. So much so that Matt Beard was sacked earlier this week after three-and-a-half years in charge. It feels like a sad end for a manager who has achieved so much over two separate stints, including two WSL titles, but there’s no hiding Liverpool’s retched form of late.

They have have lost six of their last eight in the WSL, more defeats than they suffered across 25 league games prior. And performance levels have plummeted too.

Only three teams have scored fewer goals. They have the worst conversion rate in the division (8.3 per cent) and have underperformed their Expected Goals value (xG) by the largest amount (-2.1). Problems exist all over the pitch, having only registered one clean sheet, and change felt inevitable.

Mid-season international breaks are often a struggling manager’s trap door, as has also proven to be the case with Laura Kaminski at Crystal Palace, Liverpool’s opponents on Sunday. Both are in desperate need of a leader to steady the ship.

Arsenal still at impasse?

Clearly the top four of the WSL have long been in a league of their own. Arsenal have won seven of their last eight, keeping a clean sheet and scoring three or more goals in six of those victories.

But they are also at an unignorable impasse. This is an exciting team with a new manager who has fresh ideas and an obviously flourishing relationship with the dressing room. Performances under Renee Slegers are all about entertainment value. Her style is powerful too – understated but compelling.

What’s the end goal, though? Surely bridging the growing gap between themselves and Chelsea has to be top priority. The Gunners are 10 points off the league leaders – a problem Slegers inherited from predecessor Jonas Eidevall – and addressing that chasm has to be top of mind.

As a side note, loanee Chloe Kelly created four chances in a 30-minute cameo against Tottenham last time out, and looks to have settled in north London instantaneously. Her climb to regaining best form will be something to keep a watchful eye on.

Watch Brighton vs Chelsea (3pm) and Arsenal vs West Ham (5.30pm) live on Sky Sports Football on Sunday. Stream with no contract on NOW