Chelsea v Arsenal: Women’s Super League – live

Emma Hayes talks to Sky Sports

I believe every single one of our players is ready. I hope we use the crowd – we have to create the noise and give them something to be excited about. If we carry out the things that really, really matter, and are important to me, it’ll be a cracker of a game.

[Lauren James] is good, she’s ready to go. She’s had her hair done. She’s got it ready for the crowd!

Read the great Karen Carney on the title race

Arsenal have arguably the best squad in the league and the opportunity to chase down the other two. Their home victory over Chelsea was the performance of the season and they need to replicate that. The Gunners have great variety in attack, making them able to adapt to circumstances. Whether they need runners in behind or more crosses into the box, they have a squad of problem-solvers.

Emma Hayes has changed more than half the Chelsea team that won the FA Cup quarter-final at Everton. Lauren James, Niamh Charles and Guro Reiten are among those who return to the side.

Stina Blackstenius, who scored a hat-trick in Arsenal’s 4-0 win over Aston Villa in last week’s Conti Cup semi-final, is preferred to Alessia Russo up front. Kim Little, Caitlin Foord and Victoria Pelova all return.

Chelsea (possible 4-3-3) Hampton; Perisset, Buchanan, Carter, Charles; Cuthbert, Leupolz, Nusken; Kaneryd, James, Reiten.
Substitutes: Musovic, Ingle, Macario, Lawrence, Kirby, Hamano, Cankovic, Beever-Jones.

Arsenal (possible 4-3-3) Zinsberger; McCabe, Williamson, Wubben-Moy, Catley; Pelova, Little, Walti; Mead, Blackstenius, Foord.
Substitutes: Fox, Maanum, D’Angelo, Russo, Codina, Cooney-Cross, Holly Reid, Bouhaddi.

Referee Rebecca Welch.

Hello and welcome to live, minute-by-minute coverage of Chelsea v Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. Some games are bigger than others, and this is a supersized triple whopper of a contest: 1st v 3rd in the WSL, huge London club v huge London club, a match that both teams can barely afford to draw never mind lose.

Arsenal trounced Chelsea 4-1 in the return fixture in December. They also beat Manchester City at home, but three defeats to teams outside the big four have cost them. Chelsea have the opposite problem: the eight points they have dropped this season have all been against Arsenal or City. They will be exceedingly keen to put that right tonight.

Kick off 7pm