We head to Stamford Bridge this weekend looking to bounce back from Wednesday’s disappointing Subway Women’s League Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester United.
Three points against Chelsea would take us to within one point of them in the Barclays Women’s Super League and seven shy of Manchester City ahead of their game against London City Lionesses on Sunday.
Looking ahead to Saturday’s London derby, Renée Slegers said in her pre-match press conference: “The performances have been good. We have belief and the players play with confidence in that sense. I believe in the players and what they're doing.
“I think it's a good moment and we always love to play these big games. The players rise to the occasion and we know the task tomorrow. We want to win. We need to win. We need points. In one way, it creates clarity in what we want to achieve and what we're going after tomorrow.”
Asked what she thinks of Chelsea, who will be looking to close their gap to City to three points, our head coach added: “Of course, a team that has been winning trophies over a long time. With Emma \[Hayes\] and now with Sonia \[Bompastor\] as well. A lot of winners in that team. They're a good team. They can do different things. They can set up in different ways. They have threats that we need to manage in a really good way.
“It's two top teams going against each other. The two games I've coached against Chelsea, it's a close game at Stamford Bridge with a late goal, and it's the 1-1 game. Both games are very close. That's what we're expecting tomorrow as well. We're definitely up for it. Coming off the back of these first three games since January, strong performances in a lot of things on the pitch. The goal is missing, especially against United. We are full of fuel to go into the game tomorrow.”
The Blues inflicted a first defeat on us during Renée’s time in charge almost exactly a year ago by way of an 83rd-minute Guro Reiten penalty.
“They came out very fast,” Renée recalled. “They did that at Emirates as well. They do score early in games. I think there will be a big crowd tomorrow. We have 3,000 fans travelling, which is amazing. We'll see them, we'll feel them, we'll fuel them. It's that late goal that we conceded. It was a close game, that away game at Stamford Bridge.”
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