Chelsea travel across London to face West Ham United on Sunday in their final Women’s Super League match before the international break. The Blues remain unbeaten this season and have conceded only once in four league matches, while West Ham are looking for a response after losing 2-1 to Manchester United last weekend.
The Hammers did return to winning ways in the Subway Players Cup in midweek, beating Southampton 3-1, but Chelsea represent a considerably tougher test.
West Ham United vs Chelsea Match information
Competition: Women’s Super League
Fixture: West Ham United vs Chelsea
Date: Sunday, 4 October 2026
Kick-off: 15:00 BST
Venue: Victoria Road, Dagenham
How to watch West Ham vs Chelsea
The match will be available in the UK on Sky Sports and the WSL YouTube channel.
West Ham team news
Rita Guarino will be without Eva Nyström and Ebony Salmon after both suffered injuries in the defeat to Manchester United. Neither featured against Southampton in midweek and Guarino confirmed that both will miss Sunday’s match. West Ham have not yet given a timeframe for either player’s return.
Salmon’s absence is particularly significant against a Chelsea side that has been extremely difficult to break down.
West Ham started with Constance Picaud in goal against Manchester United, behind a defence featuring Nadine Riesen, Nyström, Estelle Cascarino and Inès Belloumou. With Nyström unavailable, Guarino will need to adjust that back line. The Hammers sit 10th after four league matches with three points, having scored four goals and conceded seven.
Chelsea team news
Chelsea have had a demanding week, beating Arsenal 1-0 before travelling to France for Wednesday’s goalless Champions League draw with OL Lyonnes.
Sonia Bompastor acknowledged that rotation is possible after the quick turnaround, pointing to the depth of a squad built to handle matches every three days.
Chelsea made several changes between the Arsenal and Lyon games. Hannah Hampton, Lucy Bronze, Kadeisha Buchanan, Keira Walsh and Wieke Kaptein were among those to start both matches, while Ellie Carpenter, Sjoeke Nüsken, Veerle Buurman and Alyssa Thompson came into the XI in France. That gives Bompastor plenty of scope to freshen up the team in Dagenham.
Two very different starts
Chelsea have taken 10 points from their opening four WSL matches, with three victories and one draw. More impressive has been their defensive record: nine goals scored and just one conceded.
Their clean sheet in Lyon extended their run without conceding to five matches in all competitions.
West Ham’s opening weeks have been more difficult. They have lost three of their first four league matches, although Guarino believes there have been positive spells that her team now need to sustain for longer.
The Hammers’ best route into the game could be on transition. Bompastor highlighted West Ham’s pace and technical quality after winning possession as something Chelsea must manage carefully.
Guarino, meanwhile, identified Chelsea’s ability to attack both through the wide areas and with central overloads. Limiting those options without becoming pinned deep will be one of West Ham’s biggest challenges.
Recent meetings also favour Chelsea. The Blues won 5-0 at home in January and 4-0 away at West Ham last September, although the sides drew 2-2 at Chelsea in March 2025.
Predicted line-ups
West Ham predicted XI: Picaud; Riesen, Codina, Cascarino, Belloumou; Kumagai, Zelem; Piubel, Siren, Gago; Asseyi.
With Nyström unavailable, Laia Codina is a logical option to return in central defence, while Viviane Asseyi could lead the attack in Salmon’s absence.
Chelsea predicted XI: Hampton; Carpenter, Buchanan, Buurman, McCabe; Walsh, Kaptein; Thompson, James, Baltimore; Beever-Jones.
Bompastor’s rotation makes Chelsea harder to predict. Erin Cuthbert, Sandy Baltimore, Lauren James and Aggie Beever-Jones are all candidates to return after the Champions League trip, while Buurman could retain her place following another start in Lyon.
Prediction
West Ham’s priority will be staying compact and giving themselves opportunities to attack when Chelsea lose possession. Their task becomes harder without Salmon’s pace and Nyström at the back.
Chelsea’s schedule provides some encouragement for the hosts, but their depth means Bompastor can make changes without significantly weakening the side. Their defensive consistency has also given them a strong platform even when games have remained tight.
Prediction: West Ham United 1-3 Chelsea.
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