Sonia Bompastor believes there are better performances to come from Chelsea Women after she claimed her first trophy with the club in Saturday’s Subway League Cup final.
Chelsea beat Manchester City 2-1 in the showpiece game at Pride Park, the first of four meetings between the sides in ten days as two legs of a Women’s Champions League quarter-final and a Women’s Super League showdown between them loom large.
But despite the Blues claiming the League Cup for the first time in three years, the woman who guided French side Lyon to domestic and European glory in three years at the helm was adamant her side can step up their level of performance as they seek the quadruple.
Bompastor said: “I think, first of all, maybe when I said not an excellent performance, I think the performance was good enough for us to win.
“At least we created some chances and could score two goals, which is a lot when you play a final, especially against City.
“But I know this team has more than we showed.”
The win over City, who had former manager Nick Cushing back in the dugout after Gareth Taylor was sacked in the week leading up to the final, saw Chelsea continue their unbeaten record in the 2024-25 season.
The only teams to take points off them so far this campaign have been Leicester City and Brighton & Hove Albion. However, Chelsea’s manager is not prioritising this record.
Bompastor said: “For me, that’s not the main thing. At one point, maybe we’ll lose a game in the season.
“I think the most crucial thing is ensuring we achieve our goals. I think, going into the rest of the games until the end of the season, it will be challenging to stay unbeaten.
“We just take game by game. We know we are in a decisive moment of the season, and every game will be necessary. This is our mindset.
“We just want to ensure we grab as many trophies as possible at the end, knowing it will be challenging.”
Bompastor was in no doubt clinching victory in the first of four back-to-back meetings with City gives them a slight edge, but did not see it as crucial to deciding the outcome of those upcoming games.
The Chelsea boss said: “Psychologically, winning the first one is really important.
“Of course, it won’t be the central element in the next game, but in terms of confidence, that’s positive.
“Even in terms of recovery, you always recover better when you win the games. So, that’s a significant advantage, but it won’t be enough.
“I said it’s essential in this rare situation when you have to face the same team four times in 12 days to take it game by game – and especially when it’s different competitions.
“The approach will be slightly different because it’s two legs in the Champions League.”
Cushing reiterated the same thoughts about the psychology of winning the next three games against each other.
Manchester City’s interim manager said: “It’s about the belief that when you fall on the wrong side of a result, you can fall on the right side, and that’s by defending your box a lot better.
“I’ve seen enough to know that we can be competitive in the next three games. I have the belief that this team can win, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.
“And if watching that game back doesn’t give you the belief that you can go and win, we did enough to win the game. We had many, many moments and I was proud of that.”
Both managers made their views clear about the pitch conditions at Pride Park not being up to standard for a cup final.
Bompastor said: “It is a shame to have this pitch for a final, especially when you expect in England to have the best groundsmen and pitches in the world.
”I’m not sure if it was a men’s final game it would be the same.
”We just need to make sure we have the best facilities and grass to play the games.”
Cushing added: “Obviously would like the pitch to be a little bit better, right? But it is what it is.
”For me, it’s more about how do we make sure that we can win. I’m sure the pitch will be better at [Manchester City’s] Joie Stadium.”
While the players shared the same perspective about the championship sides stadium was “cut up: and “bobbly”.
Erin Cuthbert said to BBC Sport: “I don’t think this surface was fit for a final to be honest with you.”
Millie Bright said: “It’s an amazing stadium but when you come to a final you do expect a lot more quality from the pitch.
“It is disappointing, it’s massive game, a massive cup final and as you can see from the state of the pitch.
”It disrupts the game a little bit as well.”
Picture credit: Beth Payne
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