The Blues face United in the second of back-to-back cup ties, having defeated them 2-1 in the Women’s FA Cup before the extended international break.

This time, though, the first trophy of the 2025/26 season will be up for grabs for the winner at Ashton Gate, and our head coach insists these are the high-profile matches she and her players came to Chelsea to be involved in.

‘It’s really exciting,’ began Bompastor. ‘When you are at Chelsea, these are the games you want to play.

‘You want to compete as far as you can in every competition, you want to play finals and you want to lift silverware. So this is the first opportunity for us and we are really looking forward to it.

‘It’s a really important moment for us, the first opportunity for us to lift a trophy and that’s part of our DNA. So we see the game as being an opportunity for us to be successful and hopefully define the rest of the season.’

Bompastor speaks from experience, having guided us to a domestic Treble in her first campaign with the Blues last season.

The Women’s League Cup was the first silverware she claimed in England, beating Manchester City in the 2025 final. That means this tournament holds fond memories for her, as she is hoping another League Cup triumph can once again set the tone for a successful conclusion to our campaign.

‘I’m a fan of every competition because when you are the Chelsea manager or you are a Chelsea player you want to play in every competition, you want to compete in every competition.

‘As a memory, it’s a special one because it was the first trophy we could win last season and I think that’s a special memory for myself, but also for the club.’

However, while today's final will fire the starting gun on the season run-in, Bompastor knows it is not the be-all and end-all.

Whatever happens in Bristol, the Blues will have three more competitions to compete across in the remainder of the season, and are always looking ahead to the next challenge.

‘It’s natural,’ she added. ‘When you are at a club like Chelsea, and for myself individually, as soon as you win a trophy your next thinking is what do I need to do to win the next one. It’s almost like it never ends and I think this mentality is very special.

‘I’m lucky enough to have that within my staff and within my players. So we want to make sure we focus on the game but, as soon as it is is done, we want to focus on what is next. I think that’s the right mentality to have when you want to be successful.’