Preview: Chelsea Women vs. Birmingham City Women - prediction, team news, lineups

Chelsea Women will aim to collect their eighth successive victory when they welcome Birmingham City Women to Kingsmeadow on Sunday and the hosts enter the fixture in second place in the Women's Super League

Meanwhile, the visitors head into the encounter without a head coach after the sacking of Scott Booth in midweek.

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Match preview

Chelsea are in a rich vein of form having won their last seven fixtures in all competitions, which leaves them a point behind league leaders Arsenal.

The hosts are aiming for their third consecutive WSL title, and the defending champions showed their quality last weekend when they thrashed Manchester City 4-0.

Jessie Fleming and Sam Kerr gave Chelsea a two-goal advantage going into half time, with Fran Kirby and Magdalena Eriksson netting in the second half to complete the impressive victory.

Emma Hayes's side followed that result with another victory in midweek, with Kerr striking in the second half to guide Chelsea to a 1-0 victory over Servette in the Women's Champions League.

Chelsea have been in sublime form at home in the league this season, scoring nine goals and only conceding once.

Birmingham relieved Booth of his duties as head coach, with Tony Elliott set to take charge of the first team on Sunday.

The visitors are still searching for their first win of the season, and they head into the weekend with only a point to their name in the WSL.

Last weekend, they lost 1-0 to Aston Villa in the Second City Derby with a goal from Anita Asante proving enough to claim all three points.

They followed those poor results with a demoralising 4-0 defeat at home to West Ham United in the League Cup on Wednesday, which proved to be the last game for Booth as Birmingham boss.

Elliott will be apprehensive ahead of Sunday's tough encounter, with Birmingham the lowest scorers in the league with two goals to their name, while they have also struggled defensively - conceding 16 league goals this term.

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Team News

Chelsea are still without Pernille Harder and Aniek Nouwen, although Hayes is hopeful that the pair will be available for the FA Cup final at the start of December.

Lauren James made her long-awaited debut in midweek after returning from injury, and she is expected to be on the bench again on Sunday.

Norwegian international Maren Mjelde made her first start following a long injury layoff, and she is also likely to begin Sunday's encounter on the bench.

Only Lucy Quinn and Jade Pennock have scored for Birmingham in the league this season, and the pair will aim to add to their tallies when they start against Chelsea.

Rebecca Holloway has started the last two competitive fixtures, and she is expected to keep her place at left-back for Sunday's contest.

Chelsea Women possible starting lineup:

Berger; Bright, Carter, Eriksson; Cuthbert, Ji, Leupolz, Reiten; Kirby, Fleming, Kerr

Birmingham City Women possible starting lineup:

Hourihan; Scott, Lo. Quinn, Sandvej, Holloway; Robertson, Murray, Finn; Sarri, Pennock, Lu. Quinn

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We say: Chelsea Women 4-0 Birmingham City Women

The hosts enter the contest in supreme form, and they will be confident of a victory, when they welcome a struggling Birmingham side to Kingsmeadow on Sunday.

Chelsea have won the last five competitive meetings between the two sides - scoring 19 goals in that period - with Birmingham failing to score in all five fixtures, and we think the home side will continue their dominance on Sunday.