Lexi Potter has gone from a Chelsea academy graduate to one of the most reliable young players in Sonia Bompastor’s midfield.
Just four matches into the new season and Lexi Potter has become one of Chelsea’s standout players. Starting all four of Chelsea’s WSL fixtures this season, she has become a reliable and crucial member of the Blues’ midfield alongside Keira Walsh. Not only has Potter dominated in the midfield with her telepathic connection with Walsh, as stated by Bompastor, but she also got herself on the scoresheet for the Blues in just their third game of the season against Birmingham City.
Game to game, we have seen Lexi Potter impress us with the consistency of her performances, with her latest display against Arsenal in a high-pressure game at home emphasising that point exactly. Many people are wondering where Potter has suddenly come from, despite her multiple strong performances last season with Chelsea. But now, she’s not just getting some minutes, she’s being trusted for the majority of the 90 minutes every week.
Who actually is Lexi Potter?
At eight years old, Lexi Potter joined Chelsea’s academy, developing her skills and making her way through the Chelsea pathway, rather than arriving as a senior player. At just 17 years old, she sealed her future at Chelsea, signing her first professional contract ahead of the 2023/24 season and making history by becoming the first female player in the country to sign a professional deal at this age.
To gain experience, like most academy graduates, Potter spent her first two seasons on loan at Crystal Palace, continuing her development in the Championship. In her first season with the Eagles, she made 19 appearances, scoring one goal and providing three assists, helping the team earn promotion to the WSL.
Her second spell as an Eagle on loan was important in playing a key role in her development, as she went from a highly-rated academy player to becoming a regular senior player in the top flight of women’s football, giving her valuable experience against more senior players.
It wasn’t until the 2025/26 season that Potter made her senior Chelsea debut, coming on as a substitute in a win over Paris FC in the UEFA Champions League, followed by further substitute appearances in the competition. The Cobham girl made her first start for the Blues in December of that season in yet another successful day for Chelsea, a 9-1 victory over Liverpool.
Just three days later, she made her eighth substitute appearance by coming on in the final minutes of the League Cup final. Potter not only made her first WSL start, but she did it in style, scoring the winning goal against Brighton.
Since then, Potter has continued to build on her experience, becoming a regular at Chelsea with a point to prove that she belongs in the first team. Now, the midfielder looks the most comfortable she’s ever looked in her career, showing up and performing at the highest level for such a well accomplished side, while continuing to make her mark at the club she calls home.
Alongside her club journey, Lexi Potter has also had a successful journey through the England football pathway, captaining the England U17s to the semi-finals of the 2023 European Championship and the U19s side, who also reached the semi-finals of the Euros in the summer of 2024.
Fast forward to September 2026, and Lexi Potter has received her first senior call-up to the Lionesses squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers, a call-up well deserved.
What’s different this season?
It’s safe to say that the steady performances delivered from the midfielder across the first four fixtures have played a part in Chelsea’s unbeaten start to the season.
On an individual level, Potter has played 270 minutes, making five tackles, four interceptions and winning 10 duels, alongside a passing accuracy of 93%. She currently ranks fourth amongst her teammates for tackles and interceptions, while also making 21 recoveries. Potter is yet to be on the pitch when Chelsea have conceded a goal this season, showing the immense composure she has brought into the Blues’ midfield. It’s clearer than daylight to see the impact she is having.
As well as her individual performances, this season we’ve seen the special partnership between Potter and Walsh in the midfield, which has been a perfect match-up. Their partnership allows Walsh to push further up the pitch and provide another goalscoring threat for the Blues, while Potter is able to hold her own in the midfield.
Sonia Bompastor has also spoken about the young midfielder’s season so far, saying:
“For her age, being able to be consistent and in the way that she has been performing, I think it’s great.”
For Potter, this season feels like another step forward in a career that has already seen her develop from a Chelsea academy player into a midfielder trusted at the highest level. The difference now is that she isn’t simply being given opportunities to gain experience, she is taking them and making them count where possible.
With her first senior England call-up now under her belt and a trusted role within Bompastor’s Chelsea side, Potter has certainly put herself on the radar. At just 20 years old, there is still plenty more to come from the young midfielder. If the opening four games of the season are anything to go by, Lexi Potter is a name we should be keeping a very close eye on.
