Since we were last in league action, Manchester City won twice by an aggregate score of nine goals to nil – stretching their lead to six points with a +7 greater goal difference. Hayes’s side, however, have two games in hand.

‘We've moved on,’ our manager declared as she looked ahead to Wednesday evening’s visit to Liverpool and put the Barcelona tie behind her.

‘We had a day off, trained today, discussed our objectives going into the game and our focus is on that.

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‘After any loss, one of the worst things you can have is a big period of time between the loss and the next game. We don't have time to dwell on exiting. We have to continue, we've got a small chance of winning the league so we have to put everything into doing that, and everybody's efforts today are into competing against Liverpool tomorrow.’

Hayes qualified why she discussed Chelsea’s title chances as ‘small’.

‘We're not in the driving seat. We don't have the goal difference, so as far as I'm concerned, we have to catch up. We've always known we were going to be playing catch-up. It's not anything we haven't prepared for.’

The travelling squad will be without striker Mayra Ramirez who has not recovered from the injury that kept her out of last Saturday's Champions League game. Hayes assessed the challenge fifth-placed Liverpool will pose.

‘They are having a brilliant season, vying for the top four. Matt Beard is a seasoned veteran in this league and knows what the needs are. I think moving to Melwood [the former training ground of Liverpool’s men’s first team] really helped them and they are definitely a tough team.’

The Blues have lost just one of our past 13 league games against Liverpool although that came on our most recent visit, the first game of last season. It was one of only two defeats in a championship-winning campaign. That loss too is not on Hayes’ mind unduly.

‘It's more about what you learn from every game, as opposed to just one back then,’ she explained.

‘I know you have to start the game strongly. If you allow a team like that to get on top it could become very difficult. As always in football, you have to compete, you have to manage the duels, you have to deal with the physicality of the game.

‘We have to be ruthless in the final third, and the team know what they need to do.’