Chelsea and Arsenal finished first and second in last year’s WSL table, only adding fuel to the burning fire of their rivalry.
On Saturday, they meet again: this time, at Arsenal’s home of the Emirates, in front of 50,000 fans.
Bompastor confirmed that although Lauren James is “really close to the coming to the squad,” Saturday’s game is too soon, and she is expected to return “probably in the next game, but not for this weekend.”
Ahead of the match, Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor spoke about the impact of pressure to stay ahead of Arsenal, and the importance of closing the lid on one of the biggest news stories of the moment.
‘I’ve already said what I have to say’ about Earps’ book, states Bompastor
Recent news has been dominated by former England goalkeeper Mary Earps’ autobiography. In the book, the Paris Saint-Germain shot-stopper criticises Chelsea keeper Hannah Hampton, accusing her of being “disruptive” behind the scenes during England training camps.
Bompastor showed support for Hampton following Chelsea’s 2-0 win over London City Lionesses last week, calling for Earps to show more respect to both Hampton and England manager Sarina Wiegman: “With what I read in terms of the comments coming from Mary Earps, it’s not acceptable to not show respect to your team-mates or managers.”
It was inevitable that Bompastor would be asked about this again, particularly following fans’ criticism of Chelsea captain Millie Bright’s stance. On her podcast, Bright referred to the situation as “gossip”, which some fans thought was belittling the potential impact on Hampton. On Friday, Bompastor would not be drawn into further discourse about the matter.
“It’s not appropriate for me to comment today because my focus really is on the game tomorrow. I already said what I have to say, I’ve had conversations with different persons and now my brain is focusing on the game tomorrow. So I don’t think I need to comment more on that.”
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Bompastor ‘used to’ the pressure that comes with being Chelsea boss
It is well known that the one trophy Chelsea are missing is the UEFA Women’s Champions League, which Arsenal lifted earlier this year. Chelsea have continued to dominate domestically, however, lifting their sixth consecutive league title back in May. Bompastor said that she is used to the pressure that comes with high expectations of the team, both at home and in Europe.
“I think the expectations are always high. In my experience, the pressure on the result is always there, and I think you have to say, I’m used to that and I’m comfortable with that,” she said, continuing to emphasise the importance of momentum.
“You need to keep the momentum and make sure your team continues to have success.”
‘I loved the last game when we played at the Emirates’, says Bompastor
The Blues Boss also highlighted the importance of working together and a supportive team environment, claiming that the most important thing is “as a group to know exactly how we support all of us.”
Bright recently celebrated her 300th appearance for Chelsea, and is one of a number of experienced heads in the squad. Bompastor referenced their importance in maintaining a calm outlook, particularly when it comes to knowing that some pressure can be beneficial.
“I have a lot of experience in my squad, in my team, the players know the importance of the game, and we’ll go into that game with the right level of pressure.”
Pressure will also come from the stands. Arsenal have announced that over 50,000 tickets have been sold for the occasion, which Bompastor is looking forward to.
“I loved the last game when we played at the Emirates,” Bompastor said. “The atmosphere is great, having the chance to play in this stadium, to the face of big opponents and to have the opportunity to play these big games with a lot of fans in the stadium. That’s why we come every day to work.”