Football Discussion | Can Chelsea finally win the Women's Champions League?

Chelsea look to end European torment as Bompastor targets long-awaited Champions League glory.

After years of heartbreak at the hands of Barcelona, Chelsea begin their latest pursuit of the elusive trophy with renewed belief and firepower.

Author | Lauren W

Chelsea in action against Barcelona last season

Last May, just minutes after sealing one of the greatest domestic campaigns in English football, Chelsea’s head coach Sonia Bompastor conceded the season still felt incomplete. 

Her side had just brushed aside Manchester United 3-0 in the FA Cup final to complete an invincible domestic Treble, yet the celebrations were tinged with regret. The memory of April’s Champions League semi-final humbling by Barcelona, an 8-2 defeat on aggregate, lingered painfully in the background.

For Chelsea, Europe remains the ultimate benchmark. Until they lift the Champions League, every season will feel like unfinished business. Their latest attempt begins on Wednesday with a trip to Twente, and there is a growing sense that this could finally be their year.

Chelsea have started their WSL season well

It is a familiar crossroads. During Emma Hayes’s 12-year reign, which yielded seven WSL titles, Chelsea’s dominance at home was overshadowed by repeated disappointment on the continent. Bompastor, who won the Champions League twice as a player and once as a coach at Lyon, was brought in last summer to change that narrative but suffered a near-identical fate. Barcelona, their long-time nemesis, once again proved too strong.

There may, however, be a shift in the balance of power. Financial pressures have stripped Barcelona’s squad to just 20 first-team players following a summer of departures. While the core of their treble-winning side remains, this feels like their most fragile moment in years. Chelsea, by contrast, have continued to invest heavily, highlighted by the £1 million signing of Alyssa Thompson on deadline day.

Arsenal’s triumph in Europe last season, achieved despite Chelsea’s domestic superiority, may sting in west London, but it also offers a template for success. Bompastor’s side will meet Barcelona again on 20 November, this time in a revamped 18-team league format that replaces the traditional group stage. The new structure guarantees more marquee fixtures and, for Chelsea, a golden opportunity to finally exorcise their European ghosts at Stamford Bridge.

How are Arsenal looking?

Arsenal face a significant test on Tuesday as they host Lyon at Meadow Park. Following a slow start in the Women’s Super League, the north London side will once again place considerable emphasis on the Champions League.

Despite their domestic inconsistencies, Arsenal have performed strongly in Europe since Renée Slegers took charge last October. They tend to excel in high-stakes, single-match situations under the floodlights, at least they did last season. Welcoming Lyon, who have won the competition a record eight times, will provide an early measure of whether Arsenal can sustain that European form or if last year’s success was an anomaly.

Meanwhile, Manchester United, another domestic rival, begin their first campaign in the competition with a home fixture against Vålerenga.