City enter the game atop the WSL table with 19 points. Yet Sonia Bompastor's side has played one game fewer and victory in front of the Chelsea faithful will ensure we leapfrog the Manchester club and lead the title race going into the international break.

The Blues have made a fine start to the campaign under Bompastor, who succeeded Emma Hayes as head coach this summer. Nine matches have been played under the French coach and all have ended with the Blues coming away with victory.

Extending that run to ten is the challenge that awaits Chelsea on Saturday at the Bridge, a stadium at which the women's side has created lasting memories for those in attendance down the years...

• Tickets for our first Women's Super League match of the season at Stamford Bridge against Manchester City can be purchased here!

Firsts

The Blues' maiden competitive women's fixture at Stamford Bridge was played in October 2016 as we hosted Wolfsburg in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

We welcomed the German side to SW6 for the first leg of the Round of 32 tie, and it proved to be an important learning experience as the Blues were beaten 3-0 by the German side that was then a two-time champion and the previous season’s finalists.

Although the result did not go in our favour on the night, a crowd of almost 4,000 fans took in the historic occasion.

One player who featured in that match eight years ago remains a key figure for the Blues today: our captain Millie Bright. Against Wolfsburg, the defender, then 23 years old, played the full 90 minutes.

The first WSL fixture at Stamford Bridge followed three years later, as we kicked off the 2019/20 league season with a London derby against Tottenham Hotspur in front of almost 25,000 fans.

Beth England opened the scoring after only four minutes which proved to be the match-winning goal as it finished 1-0.

Before those competitive fixtures, Chelsea Ladies, as the side was previously known, played two exhibition matches at Stamford Bridge against Arsenal in 1995 and Manchester United in 1996.

Last season in the WSL

The Blues played at the Bridge on four occasions in the WSL last season, and all four matches against Spurs, Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal ended in victory.

We again started our campaign by hosting our north London rivals. A debut goal from summer signing Mia Fishel and a fine volley from Lauren James ensured we started the season on a positive note.

And if there was any player who stepped up to plate at the Bridge last season, it was James. Our No.10 netted back-to-back hat-tricks at the stadium, which helped us defeat Liverpool 5-2 in November 2023 and Manchester United 3-1 in January of this year.

Seven goals in three appearances wasn’t quite enough for our forward, though. She was on the score sheet again when we returned to the Bridge for another London derby, this time against title hopefuls Arsenal.

James set us on the path to victory by opening the scoring after 15 minutes before a Sjoeke Nusken brace ensured a 3-1 victory against our rivals on home soil.

That encounter with the Gunners in March saw the Blues make history at Stamford Bridge. With 32,970 fans in attendance, it stands as our biggest home crowd for a WSL match. Can you help us break it and set a new record when we host Manchester City next month?

History made

After reaching that attendance milestone in the WSL, we made further history at the Bridge the following month when we played Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals.

In the second leg of our last-four tie, we sold out Stamford Bridge for the first time with just under 40,000 fans cheering us on.

It was not to be on the night as we narrowly missed out on a place in the final following a 2-1 defeat on aggregate, but even though the result did not go in our favour, the occasion was an important landmark for the club and a fitting way to mark Emma Hayes' final game at Stamford Bridge.

Our upcoming opponents

Not only will tomorrow's clash with City be our first at the Bridge in the WSL this season, it is a maiden meeting between the two sides at our stadium.

And what a clash it is set up to be as last season’s top two again battle for an important three points. With Chelsea pipping City to the title last season on goal difference, both sides know every point gained is precious!

City ran the Blues incredibly close last term, but our emphatic 6-0 win against Manchester United on the final day of the campaign ensured our fifth consecutive league title.

Yet it’s not only last season’s title race that the two sides can barely be separated.

Our head-to-head record in the WSL against City stands at 20 games played, with both sides having won six matches each and the other eight having ended in draws. The Blues have scored 27 goals, while City have netted 25. It could hardly be any closer!

So, get along to the Bridge where you will be sure to watch another thrilling encounter between two of England’s most successful sides.