# 2017 Chelsea L.F.C. season

The 2017 season was Chelsea Ladies Football Club's 25th season of competitive football and its seventh season in the FA Women's Super League and at the top level of English women's football, being one of the league's foundation clubs.
Following a reorganisation of top-level women's football in England, the 2017 season only covered half of a traditional season's length, while the FA WSL shifted its calendar to match the traditional autumn-to-spring axis of football in Europe. For the same reason, there was no Champions League qualification nor relegation to be competed for.

## First team

    As of 3 May 2017.
| Squad No. | Name | Date of Birth (Age) |
| Goalkeepers ||||
| 1 | Hedvig Lindahl | (1983-04-29) 29 April 1983 (age 41) |
| 12 | Becky Spencer | (1991-02-22) 22 February 1991 (age 33) |
| 28 | Carly Telford | (1987-07-07) 7 July 1987 (age 37) |
| 40 | Fran Kitching | (1998-02-17) 17 February 1998 (age 26) |
| Defenders ||||
| 3 | Hannah Blundell | (1994-05-25) 25 May 1994 (age 30) |
| 5 | Gilly Flaherty (vice-captain) | (1991-08-24) 24 August 1991 (age 33) |
| 6 | Niamh Fahey | (1987-10-13) 13 October 1987 (age 36) |
| 11 | Claire Rafferty | (1989-01-11) 11 January 1989 (age 35) |
| 21 | Deanna Cooper | |
| Midfielders ||||
| 4 | Millie Bright | (1993-08-21) 21 August 1993 (age 31) |
| 7 | Gemma Davison | (1987-04-17) 17 April 1987 (age 37) |
| 8 | Karen Carney | (1987-08-01) 1 August 1987 (age 37) |
| 10 | Ji So-yun | (1991-02-21) 21 February 1991 (age 33) |
| 15 | Beth England | (1994-06-03) 3 June 1994 (age 30) |
| 17 | Katie Chapman (captain) | (1982-06-15) 15 June 1982 (age 42) |
| 18 | Maren Mjelde | (1989-11-06) 6 November 1989 (age 34) |
| 22 | Erin Cuthbert | (1998-07-19) 19 July 1998 (age 26) |
| 24 | Drew Spence | (1992-10-23) 23 October 1992 (age 31) |
| 25 | Jade Bailey | (1995-11-11) 11 November 1995 (age 28) |
| Forwards ||||
| 9 | Eniola Aluko | (1987-02-21) 21 February 1987 (age 37) |
| 14 | Fran Kirby | (1993-06-29) 29 June 1993 (age 31) |
| 19 | Crystal Dunn | (1992-07-03) 3 July 1992 (age 32) |
| 23 | Ramona Bachmann | (1990-12-25) 25 December 1990 (age 33) |

## New contracts

| No. | Pos | Player | Contract end | Date |
| 16 | MF | Ana Borges | 2018 | 19 December 2016 |
| 3 | DF | Hannah Blundell | 2019 | 11 January 2017 |
| 4 | MF | Millie Bright | 2020 | 11 January 2017 |
| 12 | GK | Becky Spencer | 2018 | 11 January 2017 |
| 20 | MF | Jodie Brett | 2017 | 11 January 2017 |
| 29 | FW | Millie Farrow | 2017 | 11 January 2017 |
| 40 | GK | Fran Kitching | 2017 | 11 January 2017 |
| 8 | MF | Karen Carney | 2020 | 23 March 2017 |
| 1 | GK | Hedvig Lindahl | 2019 | 30 March 2017 |
| 15 | MF | Beth England | 2019 | 20 April 2017 |

## Transfers and loans
### Transfers in

| Entry date | Position | No. | Player | From club | Contract end | Fee |
| 22 November 2016 | MF | 18 | Maren Mjelde | Avaldsnes IL | 2018 | Undisclosed |
| 6 December 2016 | FW | 23 | Ramona Bachmann | VfL Wolfsburg | 2019 | Undisclosed |
| 8 December 2016 | MF | 22 | Erin Cuthbert | Glasgow City | 2019 | Undisclosed |
| 3 January 2017 | FW | 19 | Crystal Dunn | Washington Spirit | 2018 | Free |
| 13 February 2017 | DF | 21 | Deanna Cooper | London Bees | Undisclosed | Undisclosed |
| 2 May 2017 | GK | 28 | Carly Telford | Notts County | 2017 | Free |
| 15 July 2017 | DF | 16 | Magdalena Eriksson | Linköpings FC women | 2019 | Undisclosed |

### Transfers out

| Exit date | Position | No. | Player | To club | Fee | Ref. |
| 11 April 2017 | MF | — | Laura Coombs | Liverpool | Undisclosed | |

### Loans out

| Start date | End date | Position | No. | Player | To club | Fee |
| 19 December 2016 | 30 June 2017 | MF | 16 | Ana Borges | Sporting CP | Undisclosed |
| 24 January 2017 | 31 May 2017 | MF | 20 | Jodie Brett | Bristol City | Undisclosed |
| 24 January 2017 | 31 May 2017 | FW | 29 | Millie Farrow | Bristol City | Undisclosed |

## Competitions
### Women's Super League
#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Last updated: 4 May 2017. Source:

#### Results by matchday

| Matchday | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Ground | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | A |
| Result | W | W | | | | | | |
| Position | 2 | 1 | | | | | | |

#### Matches
### FA Cup
## Honours

* 2017 BBC Women's Footballer of the Year: Hedvig Lindahl (finalist)
* 2016–17 PFA Players' Player of the Year: Karen Carney (finalist)
* 2016–17 PFA Young Player of the Year: Millie Bright (finalist)
* 2016–17 PFA Team of the Year: Eniola Aluko, Karen Carney
* 2016–17 FA Cup Player of the Round: Ramona Bachmann (sixth round)
* Football Black List: Eniola Aluko