Chelsea FC Women captain Magdalena Eriksson insists the Blues have learned from the past and will not let Birmingham City derail our FA Women’s Super League title bid at Kingsmeadow tonight (Wednesday).
Tonight’s match is being shown live on the 5th Stand app from 6.55pm and kick-off is at 7pm.
The Blues are currently second in the table, one point adrift of Manchester City but crucially with a game in hand on the leaders and two clear of last season’s champions Arsenal – who we have beaten home and away this term.However, despite being unbeaten in the league this season, dropped points away at Brighton and Liverpool have proved frustrating for the Blues and ensured the title challenge remains a three-horse race.Chelsea beat Birmingham 6-0 in the reverse fixture last November but tonight’s visitors were the last team to beat the Blues in the league, winning 3-2 in January 2019. With earlier blips this season, Eriksson is adamant Emma Hayes’ side will not take our opponents lightly.
Read: Chelsea v Birmingham City preview
‘Not taking teams for granted is something we have been addressing since the winter break and it’s something we have spoken about,’ said the Chelsea skipper.‘We have to keep pushing ourselves and try to reach the next levels. Emma [Hayes] is really keen on that and it’s something we have been doing so far and we just want to keep pushing now. In this league any team could hurt anyone basically and that’s the good thing about this league, You always have to be on your toes and you always have to bring your best game. It’s exciting and it’s so good for the crowd to see because of so many good games.‘I believe Birmingham will make it tough for us and we’re going to have to stay resilient to break them down.’This evening's fixture comes just three days after the entire FA Women’s Super League fixture list, including our trip to Manchester United, was wiped out on Sunday due to Storm Ciara.It was a frustrating trip north for players and fans alike but with tonight’s match, quickly followed by the visit of Liverpool to Kingsmeadow in the FA Cup on Sunday, Eriksson is eager to keep the momentum the team have been building going.She added: ‘There’s loads of games coming up and really important games too. We’re lucky we are at home on Wednesday so we aren’t travelling again and we’re just really looking forward to playing and keeping our momentum going.
‘The fans are a massive reason as to why we have been doing so well. Especially at Kingsmeadow we have been looking really sharp all season and we have really felt the support this year. The crowd is bigger, they are nosier and seem a lot more present so it makes us want to perform and show them something worth their money.‘We have been talking about trophies all season and this is just another chance [in the FA Cup]. We all know how cool it is to play at Wembley so that’s the goal for all of us and we have to take the FA Cup one game at a time and not get too ahead of ourselves.‘First though it is all about getting the win on Wednesday, then getting the win on Sunday and that’s the objective.’
Tickets for the match can be purchased at the ground from 5.30pm and are priced at £9 for adults and £1 for juniors (under-20) and seniors (over 65).
The Blues’ next match at Kingsmeadow after Birmingham is on Sunday against Liverpool in the fifth round of the Women’s FA Cup. The match kicks off at 2pm and tickets are priced at £9 or adults and £1 for juniors and seniors.