1:14
Bompastor: ‘Small particulars’ separate Chelsea from UWCL glory
Chelsea supervisor Sonia Bompastor discusses Chelsea’s possibilities of success in a contest she gained as a participant and supervisor, the UEFA Girls’s Champions League.
LONDON — New Chelsea supervisor Sonia Bompastor faces her hardest problem but as she goes up in opposition to Girls’s Tremendous League (WSL) title rivals Arsenal on Saturday (reside on ESPN2 and stream on E+, 8.45 a.m. ET). After final weekend’s fixture in opposition to Manchester United was postponed, it is going to be her first encounter with a conventional powerhouse and, coming after an exhilarating 3-2 win over Actual Madrid within the Girls’s Champions League on Tuesday evening, will provide a real evaluation of the place the group stand beneath her management.
With solely a handful of league video games performed, Chelsea have but to face an actual take a look at beneath their new boss. Their opening 1-0 win over Aston Villa within the WSL was a good, evenly contested match, and though they thrashed newly promoted Crystal Palace 7-0, neither group matches the calibre of five-time title holders Arsenal.
Maybe the clearest signal of what lies forward for the Blues this season got here in opposition to Liga F facet Actual Madrid. Definitely, it’s clear that issues is not going to go as easily for them as they did beneath legendary former boss Emma Hayes. So what have we discovered as far as Chelsea put together to journey to Arsenal?
Defensive fragility on present in opposition to Actual Madrid
Bompastor isn’t any stranger to the Champions League, having lifted the trophy each as a participant and a supervisor with eight-time champions Lyon, however her earlier expertise was with a group wealthy in expertise themselves. The state of affairs at Chelsea, who’ve by no means gained the UWCL, is barely completely different now, as mirrored of their tense 3-2 victory on Tuesday evening.
The most important take a look at of her managerial acumen got here simply minutes earlier than kickoff when goalkeeper Hannah Hampton needed to withdraw from the beginning XI as a result of sickness, with Zecira Musovic stepping in. Bompastor’s capacity to remain composed throughout moments like it is a testomony to her management, and for a lot of the night, the Blues dominated and appeared in management as they took a 2-0 lead inside half an hour.
Nonetheless, the sport took a flip within the remaining quarter-hour when, having fallen 3-1 behind, Madrid ramped up the stress and flooded the ultimate third within the hope of snatching a draw. Linda Caicedo‘s objective, to make it 3-2, turned out to be only a comfort for the guests, however each targets Chelsea conceded have been the results of sloppy, haphazard defending and it isn’t the primary time the facet have seemed nervy in defence this season. Regardless of maintaining clear sheets in opposition to Villa and Palace, Chelsea’s defensive vulnerabilities have been on show in opposition to Madrid and a greater group might have capitalised and triggered them issues.
Whereas Arsenal have struggled in entrance of objective — failing to transform any of their 21 pictures in opposition to Everton final weekend — Chelsea definitely cannot be complacent when making ready to cease the Gunners’ world-class assault.
On Tuesday, it was additionally evident that some members of Bompastor’s squad have been uncomfortable with the elevated depth — although it ought to be famous that Chelsea have been lacking key gamers together with Erin Cuthbert (injured), Catarina Macario (sickness) and Kadeisha Buchanan (suspension). If they’re to settle into the brand new supervisor’s fashion of play then they should enhance on this space.
Is extra time an excellent factor?
Final weekend, the WSL was pressured to postpone Chelsea’s conflict with Manchester United as a result of issues over participant welfare — after UEFA scheduled the sport in opposition to Actual Madrid simply 48 hours after the match. This battle factors to a breakdown in communication between UEFA and the WSL, and it was solely avoidable, however Bompastor was sad.
The supervisor has beforehand voiced her frustrations concerning the WSL being much less supportive of golf equipment competing within the Champions League, in distinction to her experiences in her native France, and her feedback echo these of her predecessor, Emma Hayes, who equally criticised the league’s scheduling in her remaining months at Chelsea.
Earlier than the Madrid sport, Bompastor stated: “We have been in an excellent group dynamic and I feel not having the chance to play modified all the things in preparation for the sport with Actual Madrid. When you’ve got the chance to play one sport every week, with this determination being made to postpone the sport, now now we have been out of competitors for 10 days which is totally completely different. In the event you take a look at the state of affairs, the choice is just not good. I feel it isn’t good for all of the English golf equipment who’re within the Champions League competitors.”
Chelsea’s 10-day hole with out aggressive motion would possibly nicely have contributed to their struggles when Madrid raised the tempo late within the sport, as Bompastor recommended afterwards. However now they’ve three full days earlier than the conflict with Arsenal. The Gunners, in the meantime, face Bayern Munich within the UWCL on Wednesday so will not be again within the nation till Thursday, leaving them with solely someday of coaching earlier than they play Chelsea.
Whereas Chelsea may benefit from the additional preparation time, the sickness bug presently sweeping by means of the squad is a priority; each Macario and Hampton missed the Madrid sport, whereas backup goalkeeper Katie Cox was additionally absent from the bench. Ought to the state of affairs worsen, Chelsea might face a major problem over who they’ll area.
Arsenal can have some extent to show
It might be a mistake to imagine Arsenal’s 0-0 draw in opposition to Everton will result in a repeat efficiency in opposition to Chelsea. If something, that irritating result’s more likely to ignite the group, motivating them to reply with an announcement victory.
A string of underwhelming performances to this point this season imply the Gunners have some extent to show. With two attracts and only one win, they are going to be keen to show issues round and that urgency, mixed with the depth of the rivalry, units the stage for a extremely aggressive match.
Enjoying on the Emirates has not been sort to Chelsea previously. They’ve but to win there — their finest end result being attracts since Arsenal started utilizing the stadium extra frequently from the 2019-20 season — and the environment is commonly a contributing issue. The house facet drew a crowd of 59,042 for his or her final assembly (a 4-1 win) and sources have advised ESPN that over 40,000 tickets have to this point been bought for Saturday’s conflict.
Arsenal constantly rise to the event in massive matches, particularly on the Emirates. Final season, they dropped simply 4 factors in opposition to the standard prime 4, however faltered in opposition to lower-table groups as they struggled to interrupt down low and mid-block defences.
The hostility, chants and floods of crimson shirts might be an element that Bompastor mustn’t overlook. Will probably be the most important take a look at of her Chelsea profession to this point and whether or not she succeeds or fails might have a significant influence on the remainder of the season.
