Chelsea and Canada defender Ashley Lawrence has mentioned the upcoming London derby in opposition to Arsenal will probably be a “powerful battle” and a “actually good check” for her aspect after an unbeaten begin to the season.
The Ladies’s Tremendous League (WSL) champions have surged forward on the high of the desk, mendacity seven factors away from second-placed Arsenal.
For Reneé Slegers, now Arsenal’s everlasting supervisor, it is a must-win encounter. Defeat would see the hole stretch to 10 factors with simply 10 video games remaining within the season. Nevertheless, Lawrence believes each groups are evenly matched heading into the conflict.
“I feel it will be a tremendous ambiance,” she advised ESPN. “Each time you play in opposition to Arsenal, if it is dwelling or away, the followers are unbelievable. And simply taking part in at Stamford Bridge, it is all the time an important day.
Chelsea’s 2-1 win within the reverse fixture in October was their first-ever win on the Emirates Stadium. The match additionally proved to be Jonas Eidevall’s final in control of Arsenal, with the Swedish supervisor resigning days later.
“I might say that it will be a troublesome battle after we take a look at the final time we performed them, it was a detailed scoring end result. However that simply reveals, once more, on paper, you could have the 2 groups and we’re fairly on par by way of our degree. It actually comes right down to the small particulars of who’s going to return away with the victory,” Lawrence mentioned.
“We all know that and we all know we’ve to return in with our greatest model of each participant, mentally, bodily, as a result of it truly is the small margins that may make the distinction. So yeah, I am anticipating a really bodily recreation, however a excessive degree, technically, I really feel like there’s going to be a number of targets or possibly not lots. It is actually one or the opposite, however it will be a number of motion, a number of aim scoring alternatives for the followers. It may be good. And naturally for us, we need to go into it to get the end result.”
Chelsea stay unbeaten this season, with no losses since Bompastor took the helm. Their solely dropped factors got here in a 1-1 draw with Leicester Metropolis within the WSL earlier than the winter break.
Lawrence attributes the crew’s sturdy begin and constant performances to their momentum and regular accumulation of factors. Nevertheless, the upcoming conflict with Arsenal will probably be a troublesome problem, particularly given their spectacular 12-game unbeaten run since Slegers took cost on an interim foundation in October.
“It is about consistency,” she continued. “We all the time need to go in and begin the sport sturdy. That is one thing we have been engaged on, not all the time ready till the second half. We need to come out with a pressure, and it may be to our benefit; taking part in at dwelling, having the vitality of the group, we need to actually use that.
“Arsenal, they’ve a very good transition on the counterattack. They’ve a number of tempo up entrance, so it is actually for us to know find out how to management these counter attacking alternatives that they might have. After which in fact, imposing ourselves on the ball, being affected person, after which when we’ve our alternatives, we should be deadly in entrance of aim.
“I feel every time we go right into a recreation, we all the time attempt to say that it doesn’t matter what the opponent, you need to go in with the identical mindset. However in fact if you’re going in opposition to Arsenal, it’s a bit completely different. It may very well be type of like a cup ultimate, and that simply provides somewhat bit extra motivation for us to go in.
“I do agree it’s type of a second that type of set the tone for the second a part of the season, however we additionally don’t desire it so as to add an excessive amount of stress earlier than we play them. That is going to be a very good check for us after this primary half. We have been doing very well, however once more, there’s nonetheless a number of video games to play, and I feel this recreation goes to be an vital second for us.”
Teammate Guro Reiten highlighted that Chelsea’s mentality has been essential to their outstanding profitable streak lately, with the crew on observe to safe a sixth consecutive WSL title.
“Mentality, I feel, simply take a look at me off the pitch. I’m one particular person, after which on the pitch, it is another person,” she advised ESPN. “I am not laughing or being humorous; I need to win and I do not care who’s on that pitch. I need to win.
“I feel each single one is like that. So there’re going to be moments the place you wrestle, and you are not taking part in in addition to you need to, however you need to get it over the road. You want these three factors after which we are able to work on find out how to enhance the efficiency after. And I feel that is been so particular about us the primary half of the season we have saved transferring and saved transferring.”
