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At all WSL and WSL 2 matches this weekend, fans are being encouraged to applaud in the 13th minute in tribute to former Liverpool manager Matt Beard, who died on 20 September, 2025.

There will also be a minute of applause before Chelsea v Birmingham City gets under way at Stamford Bridge.

Under Beard's management Liverpool won back-to-back Women's Super League titles in 2013 and 2014, before securing promotion back to the WSL in 2022 by winning the FA Women's Championship title.

Beard was twice named WSL manager of the season, and inducted into the WSL Hall of Fame earlier this year.

Anita Asante
Former Arsenal and England defender on BBC Two

Charlton have conceded five goals across two matches. The are bottom in the league of every component which means every decision they make, every action they make has to be spot on. In this league, if you make mistakes you will be punished.

Here's a reminder of what we've got coming up today.

Anita Asante
Former Arsenal and England defender on BBC Two

We know that London City Lionesses are a team that want to attack, they've got stardust all over the pitch. They like to play an aggressive high line where they are ready for counter-attack situations. But, that leaves so much space behind them.

Fara Williams
Former England midfielder on BBC Two

London City Lionesses have to get the balance right between when they do counter-attack and when need to fill the gaps. They got it a bit wrong against West ham and were punished.

Chelsea

Today Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor will manage of the 200th match of her career.

The Frenchwoman managed Lyon for 118 games before taking charge of the Blues in 2024, and this afternoon's game against newly-promoted Birmingham City is her 82nd as Chelsea manager.

As manager, Bompastor has never lost against a promoted side, drawing twice and winning the rest in 16 league encounters.

Birmingham City

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Chelsea will be keeping a close eye on Birmingham City's Oceane Hurtre this afternoon.

The former PSG player has assisted one and scored two Women's Super League goals so far.

Her three goal involvements are already the most a player representing a newly-promoted side have ever achieved in the first three games of a season.

If she can score or assist today, she'll be the first of such players to do so in all three opening matches.

Can Chelsea keep her at bay?

Chelsea were disappointed to come away from their opening game with a 1-1 draw, conceding a late equaliser after failing to add to Lauren James' first-half goal, despite taking 35 shots.

Any doubt around the side's clinical edge was put to bed in their second game, though, as Chelsea hammered Manchester United 5-0 on their own turf, with five different players on the scoresheet.

Newcomers Birmingham City, meanwhile, faced a tough test away at Manchester City on their return to the top flight, holding off the defending champions for 49 minutes before falling to a 3-1 defeat.

Last Sunday, the Midlands side came agonisingly close to claiming their first Women's Super League win since 2022, leading by two goals at home to Brighton with 13 minutes left to play before conceding twice and settling for a draw.

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It's been a tough start to life in the Women's Super League for newly promoted Charlton.

Karen Hills' side opened the campaign with a 4-0 home defeat to Liverpool, before losing 1-0 away at Everton.

In the process Charlton became the first team in WSL history to go without a shot on target in their first two games of a season.

Defeat today would see the Addicks become the fifth team to lose each of their first three games in the WSL after Yeovil, Brighton, Aston Villa and Leicester.

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It was another busy summer transfer window for London City Lionesses, but it's a player who was already at the club, Danielle van de Donk, who has made the biggest impact in their opening games.

The 35-year-old scored in both the 2-1 win against Manchester United and the 2-1 defeat to West Ham.

Among all players to score 15 or more WSL goals, the Dutchwoman has scored a greater share against newly promoted teams (11/30 - 37%) than any other player.

In this week's Football Interview, London City Lionesses owner Michele Kang sat down to discuss the club's new training facilities - which she said will be better than those at some Premier League clubs - research into ACL injuries and the influence of her father.

Have a watch below.

BBC Two

You can watch full live coverage of Charlton v London City on BBC Two from 12:15 BST.

If you're not sat in front of your TV, you can also watch along by clicking the 'watch and listen' tab on this page.

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has made two changes to the team that thrashed Manchester United 5-0 last Sunday as Lauren James and Katie McCabe are replaced by Veerle Buurman and Sandy Baltimore.

James is missing from the squad entirely because of a slight niggle.

Chelsea XI: Hampton; Buurman, Buchanan, Bronze, Carpenter; Nusken, Walsh, Potter; Baltimore, Kaptein, Thompson.

Subs: Bjorn, Dragoni, Girma, Hamano, Las, Malard, McCabe, Peng, Rudz.

Charlton manager Amy Merricks has made two changes to the team that faced Brighton and Hove Albion last Sunday, as Millie Turner and Wilma Leidhammar come in for Shannon Cooke and Veatriki Sarri.

Birmingham City XI: Baggaley, McKenna, Turner, Herron, Levasseur, Naalsund, Miyagawa, Hurtre, Leidhammar, Crosthwaite, Lee Geum-Min.

Subs: Amano, Cooke, Cornet, Effa Effa, Harris, Holloway, Rastocle, Sarri, Thomas.

Charlton manager Karen Hills has made four changes to the team that lost to Everton last time out.

Gloria Siber, Lucia Lobato, Leighanne Robe and Gillian Kenney come into the side, while Ashleigh Neville is suspended and Keira Flannery, Ellie Mason and Lucy Fitzgerald drop out.

Charlton: Whitehouse, Skeels, Lobato, N'Dow, Siber, Hutton, Van Egmond, Davidson, Robe, Korhonen, Kenney

Subs: Ellie Mason, Grace Johnston, Carla Humphrey, Lorena Azzaro, Lucy Fitzgerald, Keira Flannery, Katie Lockwood, Anna Koivuenen, Lizzie Waldie

London City Lionesses manager Eder Maestre has made four changes to the team that lost to West Ham last weekend.

Jana Fernandez, Kadidiatou Diani, Daniela Arques and Isobel Goodwin replace Janni Thomsen, Freya Godfrey, Alanna Kennedy and Rosa Kafaji in the starting XI.

London City Lionesses: Lete, Pattinson, León, Kardinaal, Fernandez, Geyoro, Arques, Putellas, Van de Donk, Diani, Goodwin

Subs: Maria Perez, Elena Linari, Freya Godfrey, Nikita Parris, Nicole Anyomi, Mary Earps, Amelia Powroznik, Rosa Kafaji, Janni Thomsen

Here's how the table looks after Manchester City's 4-2 win against Liverpool last night.

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Hello and welcome to another Saturday in the WSL.

We've got three games to enjoy today:

• Charlton Athletic v London City Lionesses (12:30 BST)
• Chelsea v Birmingham City (12:45 BST)
• Arsenal v Manchester United (17:30 BST)

Let's get stuck in.