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It has been more than 500 days from the London club last lost a WSL match. That statement alone underscores the remarkable performance, and no matter how you view the numbers, they are daunting. Consider such examples: “The French manager has not lost a WSL game after 15 months in charge,” “Bompastor claimed victory in 23 of her 26 WSL matches without defeat” or “She remains undefeated in 34 league matches since moving to England.” Each is accurate, all sound commanding, and—after four victories out of four this term—there are no signs of slowing down.

Which Team Will End The Streak?

Eventually, Chelsea will lose a WSL match. It might not be this week, it might not be in the coming year, it might not even be this season. Maybe it will not occur during this parliament, but one day it is inevitable, and reason indicates that the fixtures where their streak is most likely of ending is in their travel fixtures against their main title rivals, the Gunners, Manchester City, or United. On Friday, the latter among them will have their turn, and form-wise they are seldom in a stronger position to try it.

The former Chelsea manager stated: ‘I don’t think coaches are always thought about as human beings.’

The top two teams in the initial standings go head to head in Leigh Sports Village under the lights and, although the WSL season is only four rounds into the schedule, the Red Devils enter the match with the strongest defense in the competition. Past encounters supports the visitors however, since perhaps the starkest stat of all is this: United have never beaten their rivals in the WSL.

Actually, they have managed only one draw from their eleven past WSL meetings. Even so, the home team’s head coach, Skinner, wants his squad to believe. “Without a doubt the toughest challenge in the WSL right now, of course it is,” Skinner said. “Our aim to try to break that run when we play but it’s difficult.

“They are a well-oiled unit. They have incredible quality, squad depth and talent, that they’ve built over many seasons. Anticipate the most demanding of tests this week and we’ve got to be ready.

“In my view, you can hurt Chelsea with the ball, but you need to be brave in doing that, as it carries more risk since they’re really good in duels. You have to be confident in your ability to defeat them, you have to demonstrate the opposition that you can.”

The Manager’s Perspective on the Unbeaten Run

For Bompastor, who led a domestic treble last term in her first season in the WSL, the numbers mean very little. “The narrative about the unbeaten run is mostly of interest to the journalists,” she stated. “We started anew from zero, we won four matches out of four, and we want to approach every game aiming for victory. We are early in the season, we have not accomplished much yet.”

The former Lyon coach recalls positively of visiting Leigh, as it was where her team secured last season’s title in late April, with a one-nil win courtesy of a Lucy Bronze goal. Now they face a Manchester United side that has conceded only one goal in four league games and Bompastor said: “They appear solid and they have made a good start to the season.

“In these games, it’s always challenging. Perhaps you create limited opportunities than in other games and you need to ensure you are clinical and efficient. In my opinion that is determines the outcome in the highest-level games.”

Key Scorers to Look Out For

The joint-leading goalscorers in the WSL this season will be in action for both teams: Manchester United’s Melvine Malard has netted four times from four WSL appearances, just like Chelsea’s Aggie Beever-Jones, scoring in each match.

The manager remarked, regarding the English forward's flourishing form: “From the beginning joined the club, it was clear that she was a highly skilled player with a lot of talent, and also a really complete player.

“Out of possession she is great; she is the initial player in the frontline applying the press. Offensively, we have been putting in effort alongside her, aiming so she can to be as effective as she can be in many aspects of her game. Right now, she appears very self-assured [and] that’s great the squad.”

The Importance of the Opening Score

It is a cliche in soccer is that “early goal will be crucial” but this appears especially true in this match; United have not lost in all of the last twenty-five WSL games in which they have taken the first goal. Should they finally stop the drought for a maiden victory over their rivals, it could represent the first major twist in the WSL title race.