Chelsea looked unrecognizable on Saturday. Normally this is the part of the season where they stand up and deliver, but the loss to Arsenal rocked the boat significantly and it showed for their manager.
Sonia Bompastor’s admission that the Women’s Super League title is ‘probably lost’ has made all the headlines around the league. The back-to-back winner with a Mentality Monster team handed in the towel with nine games remaining.
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Highlights of the Women’s Super League match between Chelsea and Arsenal.
Sitting in Chelsea’s training room a few days later, the atmosphere seemed to have changed slightly.
The title is no longer ‘Probably Gone’. On Sunday, Manchester City plays Chelsea. League leader vs. current champion. Her team recently beat an inferior City side in the League Cup semi-finals. Chelsea has one last chance.
“Sunday’s game is a must-win for us,” Bompastor said. sky sports. “This will definitely define our season in the league.
“I told the players I am confident we have a lot of quality in our squad, we have enough quality to beat every team in this league starting on Sunday.
“This is a big game, but we have already proven that the team can win whenever they are in a really good dynamic. We expect the same, but a lot of work needs to be done to achieve that.”
So what has changed in the Chelsea camp? A history lesson was held as the Bompastors look to move forward following last weekend’s defeat at Stamford Bridge.
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On Pitch to Pod, Nikita Parris and Jordan Nobbs discuss whether Chelsea’s title race is over after dropping a point to Arsenal.
Go back two years and Man City were six points ahead of Chelsea at the top of the WSL with just two or three games left in the season.
Emma Hayes conceded the title to City, as did Bompastor on Sunday, but title momentum swung in Chelsea’s favor, lifting the title on the final day.
“Some of my players told me that, but I knew it anyway,” Bompastor said. “I wasn’t there at the time, but I was following a lot of the women’s game and following the league.”
If Chelsea win at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, the gap on City will be six points with eight games remaining and the league leaders will have to travel to a resurgent Arsenal to get a result.
Of course it’s not over. At least not yet.
Chelsea recently defeated Manchester City in the League Cup semi-finals.
“Anything is possible in football.” The Chelsea coach said: “Our job now is to make sure we never give up as competitors.
“We want to keep that mentality. We are professionals. We have to not give up and give our best and make sure we get to where we want to be at the end of the season and have no regrets.”
And Chelsea have plenty of medals not only in their history but also in their pockets. City’s task ahead of them is to get over the line first, knowing they have an end-of-season animal behind them ready to pounce on any mistake.
And despite maintaining a very healthy lead at the top of the table and with no Champions League football to distract them, Bompastor’s message to Manchester City is very simple: “It’s difficult to win all the time.
“I remember last season everyone was saying: It’s too easy for Chelsea to win the treble, but I don’t think anything has changed from last season.
“We are doing the same thing, working hard, getting on the pitch every day, increasing the intensity in training sessions and maintaining the right mindset.
“We were like that last year, and City are here now, but I think it’s better to stick to the basic principles and daily habits no matter what position you are in.
“The DNA at this club is strong enough to not deviate from it.”
Follow Man City v Chelsea on Sky Sports’ digital platforms on Sunday afternoon. It starts at 2:30 PM. Includes free post-match highlights and the rest of the WSL fixtures.
