How to watch the FA WSL game between Everton and Chelsea on Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Topics: Chelsea, Sam Kerr, Emma Hayes, Everton, Willie Kirk, Valerie Gauvin, FA WSL, The FA Player

Matchday 17 of the FA Women’s Super League resumes on Wednesday with league-leaders Chelsea traveling to the Northwest of England to face Everton at Walton Hall Park at 3 p.m. ET.

Women’s football fans around the world will be able to stream the FA WSL game through The FA Player and fans in Australia can tune in to Optus Sport to catch all the action.

Everton vs. Chelsea game preview

Outside the top four sides in the WSL, Everton is the strongest team. However, Toffee manager Willie Kirk is in the middle of a reconstruction that will see his side challenge for a European spot next season.

Everton appointed the Scottish manager in December 2018 and helped the team improve from a 10th place league finish in the 2018-19 season to a sixth-place finish in the shortened 2019-20 campaign. So far this season, the Blues are in fifth place with 25 points after seven wins, four draws and five losses.

The Toffees’ upward trend when it comes to results and improvements on the pitch can be attributed to Kirk’s reconstruction project. Just this season, Everton opened its doors for the arrivals of French striker Valerie Gauvin, Swiss forward Alisha Lehmann, Scottish winger Claire Emslie, Australian defender Hayley Raso, Danish forward Nicoline Sorensen, Norwegian defender Ingrid Moe Wold, veteran English midfielder Jill Scott and other payers who have bolstered the squad. The loans and permanent transfer deals made Chloe Kelly’s departure to Manchester City before the start of the 2020-21 campaign feel like a mosquito bite.

Nonetheless, Everton is still finding it difficult to earn results against the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United. In fact, the Toffees’ five losses this season have all come against the top four teams.

On the other hand, Chelsea asserted their dominance in England on the weekend by taking down Bristol City in the FA Women’s League Cup final. Australian forward Sam Kerr, who sits second in the FA WSL goalscoring charts, inspired Chelsea’s win with a hattrick.

Chelsea leads the league with 41 points after 13 wins, two draws and one loss. However, manager Emma Hayes knows that the Blues cannot afford to drop points with Manchester City behind them by two points.

Last time out, Chelsea thrashed Everton 4-0 at Kingsmeadow in November 2020.