A fortnight after our last match, the Blues are back in action with a trip to Broadfield Stadium. In Crawley, we will be looking to consolidate our place at the top of the Women's Super League table where we sit seven points clear after 14 games played.

In our last two encounters, both against Everton in the FA Cup and in the league, have seen Bompastor's side come from 1-0 down to secure respective 4-1 and 2-1 victories.

They have been performances, our head coach says, which has reflected a never-give-up attitude in her squad and it is something that will need to continue if we are to maintain our impressive 24-game unbeaten run across all competitions.

'I'm really happy with the mental side of our performance,' Bompastor said. 'We have a really competitive team and the mental side of our game is really important.

'In every game we show how much we trust our quality and we are confident. We fight until the end of the game and I think that's something really positive.'

When the two sides met for the reverse fixture at Kingsmeadow in December, it proved to be a thrilling contest. In a six-goal battle, the Blues prevailed with a hard-fought 4-2 win. A Sjoeke Nusken brace and goals from Aggie Beever-Jones and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd cancelled out efforts from Brighton's Jelena Cankovic and Kiko Seike.

Bompastor is expecting another challenging encounter with the fifth-placed Seagulls, who are unbeaten at home in their last seven WSL games.

'Again, it will be a tough game for us,' our head coach explained. 'Every team wants to beat Chelsea and they have had two weeks to prepare.

'If you reflect on the game we played against them, it was a difficult game for us. They have this philosophy to play and to trouble the opposition.

'They have a lot of quality in the squad with some individuals and collectively, so we're expecting a tough game.'

On Thursday night, Bompastor was named Manager of the Year at the London Football Awards. She has enjoyed an exceptional start to life in London, guiding the Blues to 23 wins in 24 games across all competitions.

'I was, in a positive way, really surprised but that's always something positive for me,' Bompastor said on the award. 'In that situation, I want to thank my players because they are the ones who are helping me look good on the pitch.

'The players are doing well and I'm so happy for that, so thank you to them.'