Sonia Bompastor named two changes to Chelsea's side for the Women's Super League clash at Goodison Park, bringing Lucy Bronze and Veerle Buurman into the starting lineup.
Bronze and Buurman returned in place of Kadeisha Buchanan and Naomi Girma, while Sjoeke Nusken marked a milestone by starting her 100th match for Chelsea in the fixture played on Sunday, April 26, 2026 at 12.00 BST (7:00am EDT).
Chelsea's team selection was shaped by availability: Millie Bright's recovery from injury has taken longer than expected and she was not available for the Everton game, and Aggie Beever-Jones was also unavailable. Ross Martin was the referee for the match.
The match arrived as Chelsea's first outing since their 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Women's FA Cup quarter-final on Easter Monday; the squad had returned from the international break earlier in the week ahead of the Goodison Park fixture.
For Chelsea, the two changes were small in number but notable in personnel. Bronze's return added experience on the flank, Buurman came back into the side, and Nusken's century of starts underscored the depth of appearances in the squad.
Context matters: Chelsea were returning to action after almost three weeks without a match, and Everton were playing in their first season with Goodison Park as their permanent home ground. Everton had beaten Chelsea at home earlier in the season, a result that contrasts with other recent meetings between the clubs.
That contrast is the tension around this fixture. Chelsea's previous result against Everton has been described as several goals from several different players in a 5-0 away win, yet Everton also recorded a home victory over Chelsea earlier in the campaign. The split of outcomes makes form hard to read and raises the stakes for selection choices and returning players.
Bompastor's decision to restore Bronze and Buurman and to hand Nusken a century of starts reads like a call for stability as Chelsea negotiate a congested end to the season and the lingering absence of Bright. It was a small, deliberate lineup adjustment ahead of a match that carried both symbolic milestones and practical questions about fitness and momentum.
For Sjoeke Nusken, starting her 100th match at Goodison Park was more than a statistic; it was a visible sign of continuity for a squad balancing international returns, injuries and varying results against the same opponents. Bompastor chose experience and familiarity; whether it produces the consistency Chelsea need will be answered on the pitch.
