Jess Carter is determined for Chelsea Women to raise our performance levels when facing Albanian champions Vllaznia on matchday five of the UEFA Women’s Champions League group stage this Friday evening.
The Blues maintained our unbeaten record in the group phase with a 1-1 draw against Real Madrid last week, however there was an overriding feeling of frustration as the standard of performance fell short of our expectations.
It was a valuable point gained and one which ensures we remain in control of Group A, holding a three-point lead over second-placed Paris Saint-Germain. A favourable result against already eliminated Vllaznia will ensure we secure our place in the knockout phase.
In the reverse fixture against Vllaznia at Kingsmeadow in October, we ran out 8-0 winners in the first-ever meeting between the teams. Sam Kerr scored four on the night, Pernille Harder bagged a hat-trick and Katerina Svitkova netted her first goal for the Blues as a second-half substitute.
On reflection, a sharing of the spoils in Madrid was certainly a point gained, but the performance was the source of frustration. Carter, who made her 100th appearance for the Blues in the Spanish capital, says the team are motivated to make amends with a better display this time around.
‘We always expect high standards for ourselves, so we will aim to redeem ourselves in the Champions League by putting in a better and consistent performance and to get the win.’
After impressive victories over PSG, Vllaznia and Real Madrid followed by our draw with the Spaniards last time out, our unbeaten record in this season’s group stage remains intact. Carter is proud of that feat, but understands the importance of seeing the job through to the end.
‘It’s a great achievement to be unbeaten and we hope to continue that. We know we have to be at our best to win these games, and we can't afford to get complacent.’
On a personal note, Carter became the newest member of the Blues 100 club after her appearance against Real Madrid last week. The defender is extremely happy to reach this milestone and is looking forward to making further contributions in the future.
‘Obviously, very proud of myself for reaching this many appearances. I think it's tough to do that at any team, let alone at a club like Chelsea. I just hope to build on this and be able to help the team more going forward.’