Sonia Bompastor believes her Chelsea side can take a lot of confidence from back-to-back 5-0 victories at Kingsmeadow, the latest of which helped us progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup.
A brace from Sam Kerr, plus goals from Millie Bright, Guro Reiten and Alyssa Thompson, ensured Bompastor's side saw off Crystal Palace this afternoon.
And with a big League Cup semi-final against Manchester City coming in midweek, before a huge league clash against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge next weekend, the Blues head coach was happy with how the match played out.
'This was a really good way to prepare for the two big games that are coming up,' she said in her post-match press conference.
'We were able to score with different players in different ways today, and we didn't concede any goals. We were strong today and strong against West Ham. There are a lot of positive things we can take from these two games going into the next three.
'I want my players to recognise and scan where the space is. We are comfortable going into the outside corridors – we have a lot of quality on the left and the right, and different profiles – and we are happy to combine with short passes and to be in a position to cross the ball. We are happy to have players in the box to receive crosses and to be able to be efficient and clinical.
'Today we were able to go with the outside corridor and have good connections. We were successful with that today, and it was great.'
Thompson scored our final goal of the day against Palace, her sixth of the campaign after arriving from Angel City on deadline day in the summer. Bompastor praised the American for adapting quickly following her move and described some of the winger's strengths.
'Since Alyssa joined, she settled in very quickly both on and off the pitch. She's getting more and more comfortable. She's developing connections with her teammates, and she brings a lot of quality on the ball. She's very confident and technical.
'She can dribble and can score from distance. She also puts a lot of effort into the defensive aspects. She always prioritises the team, which is nice, and she's also a great person.
'The American players bring a different mentality when they come to the club, and I think Alyssa has also brought a lot of positivity to the team. It’s great to have a player like her.
'Probably in the beginning, she was focusing a lot on herself, trying to find her feet. Now that she is more comfortable, she can start to help the others.'