Sonia Bompastor insists motivation will not be an issue for her Chelsea players against West Ham United following their Thursday night heroics as those in her squad are ‘competitive and want to win every single game’.
The Blues produced an exceptional 90-minute performance on Thursday evening to overhaul a two-goal deficit against Manchester City and advance into the Champions League semi-finals. It was a display that required great physical and mental exertion, and one that ended on an emotional high for the Chelsea squad.
However, less than 72 hours after walking off the Stamford Bridge pitch, the Blues will be lining up at Kingsmeadow to face the Hammers in Women’s Super League action. It is a situation that will test the players’ ability to adapt and refocus, but one that does not concern Bompastor.
She said: ‘My players are really competitive and want to win every single game. The one on Sunday will be no different for that reason – and I’m on the same page as a manager, I’m really competitive.
'We have the experience in the squad and as a staff to make sure we are focused on the game on Sunday, and our goal in the league is to win the title as quickly as possible.
‘To do that, we have to win on Sunday. I’ll put out the best team on Sunday to achieve that goal and each game is as important because in the league each win means three points. We want to win on Sunday.’
Bompastor has suggested she will rotate her side for West Ham’s visit, yet that will not result in a weakened team. Such is the quality of the Chelsea squad, which is full of senior internationals, alterations can be made but the level of performance does not change.
‘That’s really important,’ stressed Bompastor. ‘I think I mentioned that coming into Chelsea and England, this league is really, really competitive and if you don’t have depth in your squad it’s almost impossible to achieve your goals
‘As you can see, the players are playing a lot of games with national teams and the club, and this level of intensity is really high. So when you have the opportunity to bring fresh legs into the big games, it can make a big impact.
‘So, for me, it’s really important. If you don’t have the depth, it’s impossible to perform and to be able to have big goals in all four competitions.’