Women’s Super League duo Arsenal and Chelsea are set to make pre-season tours of the United States this summer, including facing each other in a friendly match in Washington DC, sources have told ESPN.
Arsenal are scheduled to face the Washington Spirit in the National Football League in August, while Chelsea will take on New Jersey/New York Gotham at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey. This will be the first time two WSL teams will face NWSL teams. The sources added that the two teams are also preparing to play a friendly match on August 19 in Washington.
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It is also the first time two WSL teams have made such high-profile pre-season tours. In January, Chelsea hosted a training camp in Morocco, while Arsenal hosted its training camp in Portugal. Last summer, Arsenal hosted a pre-season camp at Adidas headquarters in Germany.
The clash of champions will be for Chelsea facing Gotham, the winners of the 2023 English Football League title, after Chelsea lifted the English Football League title on Saturday for the fifth time in a row and seventh overall.
This may be the first time that Chelsea plays under the leadership of new coach Sonia Bombastor. Sources have told ESPN that the Lyon manager is set to take over for Emma Hayes next season, with Hayes becoming the new head coach of the US Women’s National Team after 12 years with Chelsea.
The Washington Spirit are also set to undergo a change of management, with Jonathan Giraldes becoming their new coach once his spell with Barcelona ends next month. Bombastor and Giraldes will face off next week in the Champions League final.
Arsenal also head to Melbourne, Australia, for a match against the Socceroos in the A-League on May 27. However, the team will be without WSL top-scorer Viviane Miedema in the summer as the club has decided not to renew her contract. Sources have told ESPN that Miedema is on track to move to WSL rivals Manchester City.
Arsenal will play in the Champions League qualifiers in early September, while Chelsea automatically qualifies for the group stage.
This season, Arsenal beat Chelsea in the league with a score of 4-1, before the west London team dominated with a score of 3-1 in the first leg.
The Washington Spirit ranks fourth in the National Football League standings, while Gotham ranks seventh.
ESPN’s Emily Keough, Jeff Kassoff and Tom Hamilton contributed to this report.
