On Saturday we host London City Lionesses at Stamford Bridge for the first time in Women's Super League history but how much do you know about our newest London rival?
The Blues have faced London City in cup action previously, back in 2015 and again in 2021, but the Lionesses have undergone major changes on and off the pitch since then.
Breakaway and evolution
Previously known as the Millwall Lionesses, the side broke away to become an independent women’s team in 2019, becoming the London City Lionesses under the stewardship of former owners Anthony and Diane Culligan.
Competing in the second tier of women’s football in England, the Lionesses found that they had hit a glass ceiling in 2023 when – sitting top of the Women’s Championship table – and their manager Melissa Phillips departed for NWSL side Angel City.
Takeover secured
American businesswoman Michelle Kang successfully purchased the club in December of that year, adding London City to her portfolio of women’s football clubs, which also includes OL Lyonnes in France and Washington Spirit in the USA.
The new owner made some eye-opening moves the following summer, ahead of her first full season in charge of the club, bringing in Sweden captain and ex-Real Madrid, Manchester City and PSG star Kosovare Asllani. Kang also recruited manager Jocelyn Precheur from PSG as the side’s new coach in a bid to reach the WSL as soon as possible.
Off the pitch, it was also announced that the club would move from Princes Park in Dartford to a ground share with League Two side Bromley at their Hayes Lane stadium.
Transition to the top flight
London City achieved their aim, clinching promotion to the WSL on the final day of the 2024/25 season. More progress followed in the summer, as Kang and her team went about signing a squad of players who could compete in the top flight from various high-profile clubs around Europe.
LCL signings summer 2025 | Signed from |
|---|---|
Alanna Kennedy | Angel City |
Katie Zelem | Angel City |
Freya Godfrey | Arsenal |
Teyah Goldie | Arsenal |
Sophia Poor | Aston Villa |
Isa Kardinaal | Ajax |
Jana Fernandez | Barcelona |
Lucia Corrales | Barcelona |
Nikita Parris | Brighton & Hove Albion |
Poppy Pattinson | Brighton & Hove Albion |
Danielle van de Donk | OL Lyonnes |
Wassa Sangare | OL Lyonnes (loan) |
Grace Geroyo | PSG |
Paula Partido | Real Madrid |
Sanni Franssi | Real Sociedad |
Elene Lete | Real Sociedad |
Elena Linari | Roma |
The transition from the second tier to the WSL is notoriously difficult. In 2023/24, newly-promoted Bristol City won just one game all season before being relegated straight back into the Women’s Championship, and last season, Crystal Palace claimed victory just twice before they suffered the same fate.
This season’s results show London City offer something different from those who have tried and failed before. Precheur’s side have already won three matches from their opening six games in the WSL, and although they have suffered heavy defeats – 4-1 losses against Manchester City and Arsenal and a 5-1 defeat to Manchester United – they sit sixth in the standings and appear to be learning quickly from those tough tests.
What this means for Chelsea
Saturday's match at Stamford Bridge is a groundbreaking moment for the Blues. While football derbies are almost always well-established and steeped in history, this weekend’s match is a chance to see the very first London derby between the two teams in the WSL.
It’s also a chance for our well-established title-winning side to face an up-and-coming club who are doing things a little bit differently.