Sonia Bompastor believes we will need to build from a solid defensive base if we are to claim all three points against an in-form Aston Villa side at Kingsmeadow this afternoon.
Chelsea have a good record against the Villans, having won all 11 of our previous Women’s Super League meetings, while scoring 28 goals and conceding just twice in the process.
That includes a 3-1 victory at Villa Park back in September, when goals by Aggie Beever-Jones, Keira Walsh and Sam Kerr ensured the points came back to west London with the Blues.
Bompastor won’t be underestimating our Sunday-afternoon opponents, though, after they showed some strong form since the international break by earning a 0-0 draw with league leaders Manchester City, before beating Leicester City 2-1 in their last match.
‘Aston Villa come into the game in really good form, with the last two results being really good results,’ said the Blues head coach.
‘They tied against Man City, which was a great result for them, and I think they will be confident. They have nothing to lose, so they will be a difficult team to break down.
‘They have quality in the team. They play well as a team, but also they have some great individuals with players who have a lot of experience.
‘We will have to be at our best if we want to have a good result on Sunday.’
Bompastor also identified what could be a key factor in the game, highlighting Aston Villa’s threat during turnovers in possession as a key threat we will need to counter at Kingsmeadow today.
‘They are a team who have strengths in terms of transition,’ she added. ‘So I think it will be important for us in terms of the defensive aspects to have a compact block and also to keep the balance in the team.
‘I think that’s what we have been trying to do as much as we can, because we know most of the teams are trying to exploit that from us.
‘So we know what we want to do in terms of the game plan going into that game and we are very much aware of their strengths in transition.’
The Blues’ task is clear then. Hopefully that plan can pay off with three more points to add to our tally as we approach the conclusion of a tight race for UEFA Women’s Champions League qualification.
