With Sarina Wiegman set to name her latest England squad on Tuesday, much of the discussion around the Lionesses has centred on Chelsea midfielder Lexi Potter. The 20-year-old has been a standout performer in the Women’s Super League this season and has staked a claim to earn her first senior call-up.
After steady performances against Manchester United and Birmingham City, Potter caught the wider attention with an impressive display against rivals Arsenal. She helped Chelsea to a 1-0 victory and a third successive league clean sheet, looking at home among England’s elite.
Former Lionesses striker Ellen White called Potter “a special player”, while Chelsea team-mate Lucy Bronze suggested she could be the next Keira Walsh.
Potter is a Chelsea academy graduate who broke through last season, scoring the winner on her first WSL start against Brighton in March. That came after a two-year loan spell at Crystal Palace, where she gained regular first-team football.
This season Potter has stepped up. She has started alongside England midfielder Keira Walsh in three of Chelsea’s four WSL matches, and their partnership has allowed Walsh to push further up the pitch and provide a goalscoring threat. Chelsea’s winner against Arsenal came when Walsh’s saved shot fell to Alyssa Thompson, while Potter herself scored in the 2-0 victory over Birmingham.
Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor said she was “really happy” with Potter last season, though the midfielder probably did not get as many opportunities then. Bompastor added: “For her age, being able to be consistent and in the way that she has been performing, I think it’s great. People were probably looking at [the Arsenal game] to see her in a big occasion and whether she was able to repeat and sustain the performance. I think she proved that she can. Keira [Walsh] is playing at that level because she has more freedom to go forward by having Lexi next to her.”
Potter has shown composure on the ball and maintained a 93% passing accuracy in the WSL this season. She ranks fourth among her Chelsea team-mates in tackles and interceptions and has the third-best passing success rate at the club. She has already played 207 minutes, made 21 recoveries and is yet to be on the pitch while Chelsea have conceded a goal in the league this term.
Speaking on the Women’s Football Weekly podcast, White said Chelsea have spent a lot of money on players in that team but Potter has grabbed the opportunity. White added that Potter seems to be learning from Walsh and the players around her, is growing game by game and has great physicality. She highlighted a moment in the Arsenal game when Potter had three players around her and flicked the ball around the corner to Ellie Carpenter, calling that special for a player of her age.
Potter has slotted into the number six position at Chelsea, providing defensive cover for Walsh and showing she can play her way out under pressure. She has similar traits to Walsh, who has been a significant figure for England since her debut in 2017 and has over 100 caps. One of the biggest questions surrounding Walsh has been whether anyone was capable of filling her shoes when the 29-year-old eventually moves on. Potter’s emergence suggests she is next in line, but there is also the possibility of the two developing a successful partnership in England’s midfield.
White said: “We have been crying out for someone who maybe is the next Keira Walsh. The number six position is a really difficult one to play in. Keira has been doing it so well for so many years and is now getting better this season. She has stepped up and maybe Lexi is pushing her. To have Lexi in the England fold, gaining experience in the senior squad would be brilliant to see. She looks really special.”
England are hoping to secure qualification for next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil with a double-header against Greece in October. Bompastor joked that she wished Potter could be French and believed Potter was ready for the international stage. England defender Lucy Bronze, 34, said on BBC Radio 5 Live that she is not the manager and Wiegman will make her choices, but that Potter has been “absolutely fantastic”. Bronze added that having a player like Walsh to look up to and learn from has helped Potter develop into the same type of player, and that if England have another Keira Walsh, it puts the team in a very good position.
Wiegman’s squad announcement on Tuesday will reveal whether Potter’s form has earned her a first senior call-up.